Facing the Darkest of the Storms
by Irish Maiden16
Summary: Selina Kyle never had a reason to care about anyone, until she looked into his trusting hazel eyes and saw a glimpse of sanctuary before he entered the gates Hell. Now, every time she closes her eyes she sees him staring into her soul. A Dark Knight Rises Bat/Cat tale set during the events of movie, filled with betrayal, strength and love.
1. Chapter 1 :Interlude of Betrayal

**Facing the Darkest of the Storms  
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**A/N: I wanted to another TDKR story with Bruce and Selina, because ****I just can't get enough of Bruce and Selina romance. I'm still working/updating on my other stories. But On the Edge of Forever is on hold. I just had to get this out of my system and I had to start writing this down for all of you,and I know that the Bat/Cat fandom is slowly fading out but that won't stop me from creating new stories with these wonderful characters of the Nolan verse. For this story I wanted to write the scenes that I would have loved to see in the film. The story takes place before Selina betrays Batman in the sewers.  
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**This story is dedicated to all Batman and Catwoman fans.**

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**Facing the Darkest of the Storms**

**Disclaimer all characters belong to Warner Bros and DC Comics**

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**Chapter 1**

**Interlude of Betrayal**

"Can you at least tell me why you're running away?" Jen insisted with a hint of irritation in her voice, as she leaned against the bookshelf inside the cramped apartment and watched her friend stuff clothing in a suitcase.

"There is nothing left in this city that is worth to stay," Selina replied, folding a pair of jeans. "I have everything I need to survive." she lowered her eyes to the suitcase with envelopes of stolen cash that she fenced from the rich twits that were so blinded by her classy social-climbing act that they never saw her swipe their wallets. She moved to the curly-haired teenager. "Here hold out your hand,"

Jen held out her hand and watched Selina place the golden Rolex that she stole from the smarmy yuppie. "This is worth more than sixty bucks." A smile twisted on her lips as she slid the watch over her wrist. She turned her eyes to the piles of stolen library books that Selina used to read to her during the cold nights of winter as they would curl up against the heater. Inside her "tough girl" exterior that her body became immune to she was going to miss the young brunette that found her unconscious in a gutter, nursed her back to health and put clothes on her back.

"How are you going to manage new surroundings?" she asked with a shaky voice, as she felt a few tears slip from her eyes. "Will I ever see you again?"

Smirking, Selina grabbed her crimson lipstick off the shelf. "I'm adaptable to any kind of surrounding." she added, looking down at the teen." You should always remember that I was roaming the streets long before you...I know how to handle any situation."

Her dark brown eyes stared directly into the girl that she found shivering in cold, wearing only rags to cover up the visible bruises on her limbs. She took her under her wing. Taught her how to read and trust no one. They had gone through a lot together, doing what they had to survive. She just wished that there was more time for her to teach Jen everything she knew. Instead her actions of working with Roland Daggett had cost her a divided friendship, freedom and her life.

Suddenly an annoyance of disturbance of shoes hitting the wooden steps of stairwell made her become fully alert. She bore an icy gaze to the door. "Go check it out," she said to Jen. "Stall them if you can."

Jen briefly nodded and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

As Selina quickly finished gathering the rest of her clothes, she paused and listened to a familiar uproar out in the hall. She sauntered closer to the door, the sound of voice of nuisance made her jaw clench. '_Why does it always have to be assholes? _She questioned, listening in on the conversation as enjoyment curved on her lips.

"I told you," Jen said loudly. "Money first."

"Hey…I don't think so," the man replied.

Selina froze, recognizing the tone of the voice. Her spine became rigid as she rushed out of the hall, where, she found the man of misfortune Bruce Wayne on the stairwell talking to Jen. He was different looking, not as refined as he looked at the charity ball. Her eyes raked over him for a moment, surveying the details that somehow intrigued her curiosity. His rich dark hair was wavy with loose pieces hanging over his temples, buttons on his collar for undone and his light purple tie was carelessly dangling against his chest. '_How did he find me?' _her mind conquered up. Then she remembered the conversation they shared on the ballroom floor, he told her that he knew she was from the Old Town District and the type of apartment she lived. Either he was an idiot of a stalker or there was something else that he was concealing behind that care free playboy façade.

Jen grinned with a wicked smirk, as she shifted her eyes to her friend leaning against the door frame. She was anticipating that Selina was going to pounce on this unsuspecting visitor, instead she face expression confession as she watched the brunette merely scowl at the handsome man.

"He's not a mark," Selina explained, as Bruce looked at her with bright hazel eyes and a slight smile. "And he doesn't have a cent to his name, anyway."

"Miss Kyle," Bruce said, looking directly at her, as she eyed him suspiciously knowing that this seemed somewhat of a coincidence for him to coming to her domain on the afternoon that he became broke because of fraud from the Gotham Stock Market but her instincts were screaming not to trust his coy attitude that he was displaying in front of her.

"Why are you here?" her voice asked in a biting tone."I take it that this is not your daily social call Mr. Wayne." She breathed out a fuming sigh, and then gestured him to enter her apartment. Her eyes regarded him coldly, as he was mere inches from her body; she could smell his expensive cologne as they breezed through the two-bedroom cluttered apartment that she shared with Jen. Peeling wallpaper, leaky pipes that echoed drops of water into the stuffy air and thrift store furniture were prime examples of urban decay. Selina cringed of embarrassment of her low-rent digs, but soon become furious with her emotions for caring what Wayne thought.

"Yeah, it's not much." she admitted with a smirk, watching his eyes focus on her. She grabbed the nearest sweater to her view and started to fold it. "But it's more than you got now."

"Actually they're letting me keep the house," he said truthfully, before he had come to her apartment he shared a conversation with Lucius Fox on a payphone thanks to Office John Blake supplying him with some change.

Selina shook her head with disbelief before saying. "The rich don't even go broke same as the rest of us, huh?"

He felt his jaw stiffen, as his eyes became locked on the suitcase spread out atop of a ratty couch. "Vacation?"

Selina rolled her eyes and scoffed the notion of the word. "Nope." she paused. "Let's just say that I've incurred the wrath of some people less susceptible to my charms then you. Mr. Wayne."

"So I was right...you are in deep with the wrong people,"

"I'm beyond the deep end," she answered, narrowing her eyes to the suitcase. "And you will be too...if you don't clear out of this city before the storm hits."

"My powerful friend hopes to change your mind about leaving." he said.

She remembered pulling had vanishing act with Batman on the roof.

"And how will he do that?"

"By giving you what you want?"

Shaking her head "If doesn't exist." she replied.

"He says it does," Bruce said in assuring voice."He wants to meet. Tonight."

She raised an eyebrow, and wondered why the elusive Batman would have information about the Clean Slate program anyways. Then she realized that he must have eavesdropped on her rooftop conformation with Daggett.

"Why?" she asked keeping her defenses up, knowing that there more to this arrangement.

"He needs to find Bane. He thinks you'd know how." he said. His voice was slightly hesitant.

She repressed as a sudden chill ran long her spine. She had dealings with wrong people in the past business tycoons, crime lords and sexual predators however with her involuntarily mistakes of controlling the situations of the past, there was only one masked monster who struck her beautiful body down with fear. Bane the articulate orator and effective military commander of the League of Shadows and the only man who has sent her packing from her deemed territory.

"Tell him that I'll think about it," she answered, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. Images of Bane's massive hands breaking her graceful neck became captured into her mind.

"Okay," Bruce nodded, taking a glance around her apartment, there were some objects that reminded him of the pieces elegant decor and paintings inside Wayne Manor. "I like your place." He started to leave. She called out before he left.

"Mr. Wayne?"

He turned around, his dark eyes were directly as her, as he placed both hands against the threshold frame and took a moment to absorb her beauty. This was his only real chance to see her without the masks. She wore a dark pullover and ballet flats but she was still a mesmerizing and dangerous thief in his eyes.

She watched his lips curve into a genuine smile surrounded by five o'clock shadow. She tried to avert her eyes from his soft gaze that almost appeared to look pathetically desperate.

"I'm sorry that they took all your money." she said with a low tone, with a serious expression etched on her pale face. He saw right through her mask.

"No, you're not." He said, and then recoiled away. She stood there catching a glimpse of him walking through the door. She waited until he was down the stairs and quickly grabbed her mobile phone and dialed. Her pulse was starting elevate as an exotic foreign accent answered from the other line.

"Tell Bane to meet me in the subway tunnels. I have bargain to make with him."

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Selina could feel her heart pounding against the walls of her chest, as the sound of boots crunching against the gravel in between the rail lines, engulfed her ears. She took a few deep breaths and stepped from the shadows of the cement columns dressed in a black trenched coat with her dark eyes focused on the massive projection of a man's body bouncing off the brick walls.

"Miss Kyle," a deep voice erupted from the darkness. She spun around to find Bane behind her on the platform with his meaty arms crossed atop of his chest. Air hissed from the hulking man's tube skeleton like mask. "why have you brought yourself here?"

Selina swallowed and stepped closer with confidence that her plan would work. "There's been a new change in plans Bane. I know what you've done to Daggett." she said keeping her poise calm. "I know I'm next in line to feel my skull crushing in your hands." she paused in her tracks. "What if I could make a deal with you?"

"Depends on the deal Miss Kyle," Bane's ghostly voice said. "You are a thief not a mercenary. What could you possibly offer me to gain your freedom back?"

She stared up in horror at the masked mercenary's grotesque countenance as his merciless eyes peered into her eyes. "I give you what every uniform idiot wants in this city," she replied with a strangled voice. "Batman."

Bane stepped down from the platform, his hand touched her cheek gently. "So you will offer the Batman to me in exchange for your life, Miss Kyle?"

She nodded. "So do we have deal?"

"Yes. Bring the Batman to me. Tonight." He answered. She watched him vanished into the shadows, a ripple of dread formed inside her stomach. She slowly moved to the stairs when Bane's voice called out.

"Do you know what is more painful than having your bones broken, Miss Kyle?"

She looked over her shoulder with a shaky glare.

"A broken heart."

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The sonic boom of thunder roared in the darkening sky as a Gotham City yellow Taxi cab parked in front entrance of Wayne Manor. An old grey haired driver wearing a Gotham Rogues baseball cap turned his head to the backseat and stared at Bruce with confusion in his pale green eyes, the young man gave a withering look and handed him a bill of twenty that John Blake had given to him when he was dropped off across the street from Selina's apartment. He made it a priory to pay the young officer back once his bank accounts were unlocked.

Bruce opened the back door, grabbed the newspaper that Lucius gave to him and in the pounding downpour he slammed the door, placed the paper over his head and splashed up the stairs. The soggy tabloid provided him with meager protection from the violent downpour; he felt the weight of the pages quickly collapsing in his dripping hair. Soak to the bone, raced to up to the relative shelter of the portico, and rang the doorbell impatiently. He stood there, swiping the excess water off his forehead as he lifted his chin and looked at the wooden door.

"You don't look very happy being caught in the rain," a familiar sultry voice said from behind. "Nobody's home?" He slowly turned around, Selina stepped out from behind a marble column, looking similarly sodden, hair long auburn hair was dripping wet and black blouse drenched enough for him to see the shape of her breasts sticking against the fabric. He wondered how long she'd been waiting there and her reason for coming to his home.

'No," he replied ruefully. 'I'm on my own now."

"I can see that," she teased lightly, observing his sulked expression. "Do you have keys?"

He looked at her helplessly. "I never needed them..." Alfred had always been there to let him in before.

She rolled her eyes and took his hand. "Come on," she said feeling his fingers squeeze tighter over top of her dainty fingers. "Let's go find us a window shall we handsome?"

"Yeah," Bruce grinned lightly, as both raced to the back corner of the mansion, Bruce placed his hand protectively over her back and his other one was holding the newspaper over her head. A door of French glass doors caught their view. He lowered his eyes down at the lines of water cascading over her teardrop shaped red lips and then drove his attention to their point of entry.

Breaking and entering proved to distressingly easy. Bruce watched her pick the lock on one of the doors with a skeleton key, while he guessed that the servants had neglected to activate the household security system before departing in search of steadier paychecks from other rich twits. He inwardly mused at her skills, finding them to be impressive to watch. He ran his eyes down her back and then to the curves of her hourglass shape hips.

Selina smiled sensing his eyes on her body, she straightened and twisted around as both of their bodies collided with other. He pulled away a few inches.

"Excuse me," he said, before slamming his body into the jarred door and forced it open with all his strength into one shoulder. Both of them took refuge into the dark room as he placed his hands along her shoulders and glided her through the darkness. They passed a circular table and slammed the faded newspaper paper down staring at an image of himself outside of Wayne Tower.

"I hope you didn't like me for my money." he said, moving to the lamp to switch on some light as water from their bodies dripped on the carpet.

"I don't care about your money," she said, shaking the rain out of her dark hair. "I came here to tell you that I have Bane's location for that powerful friend of yours."

"Oh," he said, wiping drops of water off the tip of his narrow nose."Where is Bane hiding?"

"Gotham subway tunnels. Bane has an underground lair down there." she said, kicking off her heels, and squeezing the more water out of her mass of hair. "He prefers to work in the shadows."

"Sounds familiar," Bruce muttered under his breath as she came closer. Her misty dark chocolate eyes looked deeply into his. He caught a whiff of her scent that ignited all of his senses in one inhale of breath.

"Your friend doesn't stand a chance against Bane." she whispered, sauntering to the window, with her arms folded. Her heart was beating heavy, reminding her that she was a wicked person for trading Batman's life for her own skin. She was thinking about Bane's hands digging into the lifeless body of Batman, as the sound of his bones crushing would rattle in her ears. How could she allow herself to become so evil and make a good righteous man pay for her mistakes? He was an idiot of putting his trust into her...thinking that she would turn from bad to good. She knew the truth she was a devil in woman's flesh. Always has been. Always will be.

Bruce stood behind her soaked wet body, he listened to her breathing as tension was forming around them. Unspoken desires were seeping from his flesh and he inhaled sharply. She turned around , meeting his intense gaze as she displayed cold resistance by keeping her walls built high and body tense as if she was an untouchable cat that wanted to no acceptance from the a shelter of a storm.

He expected her resistance and slowly advanced closer , feeling his body shiver from the coldness of the rain entering through his bones. She turned around, her dark eyes glimmering in the dim light and she felt a strange sensations enter through her body. Something that she had never experience before It was unnatural and intensifying feeling. Before she could make a run for it , he was standing there right in front of her with a blanket in his hand.

Selina moved to a dresser, trying to avert her eyes away from him, she picked up a picture frame and stared at the pretty face behind the glass. "Who is this?" she asked with a voice spiked with curiosity. Bruce stared at the image of his childhood sweetheart, and his brimmed with tears.

"She was my best friend." he said in a grim tone."She died eight years ago." He reached for the frame, and rubbed his thumb against the glass. She shifted her eyes tentatively to him, watching a shroud of sadness etch over his chiseled features. He carefully placed the frame back on the dresser next to a photo of his parents.

She fierce feline exterior became soft. She caressed both hands on his cheeks and looked steady into his dark eyes that matched the umbra that surrounded their trembling bodies. He looked at her with a sincere gaze. She couldn't push him away and leave him alone in the darkness. Heaviness piled on her heart and then pulled her body closer, until her breasts touched the groves of his chest and pressed her lips over his mouth. It wasn't a kiss that she planned on him at the ball, this one was full of passion and intimate. She broke away, knowing that she was only fooling herself to have feelings for a man that she stole from twice, kissed in front a public crowd and allowed in her embarrassment of a home.

Her fingers glided slowly against the strands of hair latched on his neck, thumb brushed over his chin. 'I have to go." she whispered. "I shouldn't be here." She starting to walk away to the door but he blocked her path and bent down until his lips were a breath away from hers. Before she could maneuver an escape he moved fast and pressed a hungry kiss as she moaned at a slow pace, nipping her bottom lip as it traced over his warm tongue. His hands were sliding over down her back and lowered until they massaged the curves her hips with a fierce grip as she closed her eyes and starting grinding herself against his pelvis.

"Stay with me," he rasped breathless against her lips.

'You asked," She groaned in response rocking greedily against his sculpted body, her chest pacing against his, the soaked material of their clothes was growing tight making their limbs stiff. Before she could take an intake of breath his firm hands crept back up to her shapely arms as he gripped her neck softly and angled her head as he deepened into an indulging kiss, causing her entire body to jerk. She felt the flesh starting melt off her bones, her fingers moved upwards and started to fumble to unbutton the collar of his shirt.

"Rip it off," he growled in between a pacing of breath. She clawed her way through the material, ripping the fabric as it peeled off his skin until her fingers touched his smooth chest. She dug her nails into the muscles of his broad shoulder as they rippled through her fingertips, and she gasped as he pressed rough kisses along her neck, sucking the drops of water off her pale skin.

She backed them closer to the opened door as his hand slammed it shut, almost breaking the glass.

Streaks of lightning flashed in the night sky lighting the room for a few seconds. Bruce's lips stretched into a smile as his hands moved so down her chest, unbuttoning her blouse, until a black laced bra became visible, he saw the plump flesh of breast popping out from the cups. He never felt this way with any super models and movie stars he shared a few nights in bed with in the early years of being adult before he ran away from Gotham. She was a rare a woman who was full mystery, untamed passion and beautiful as the night.

He assaulted her mouth again and again, needing her and tasting her pure splendor and allure. Somehow he felt rejuvenated as he pressed his lips harder. She met his hunger, fingers gripping his compacted six-pack waist and descending down to his firm crouch. He released arousing growls into the air as his became drunk with heavy levels of intoxication. He became tangled within the mass of her thick hair, but didn't stop him from kissing underneath her jaw.

He kissed her everywhere he could. Gliding his tongue along the wet flesh of her body and tasting the flavor of Gotham's rain. His hands were now placed on her breasts, fingers slipping under the wired frame of the bra. He squeezed the fatness. Her mouth opened wide and she released fervid pants against his ears. He closed his eyes listening to one of the sexiest sounds he ever heard. He lifted up the bra high until her full hot breasts bounced over his pulsing chest. His eyes grew wider and then his mouth parted and he sunk his lips into a dusty pink nipple.

She trembled and throat bubbled with high pitch sounds into the air while feeling his moist lips suck her full nipple. She exhaled a cluster of deep breaths as his tongue swirled with circular movement. "Yes," she hissed, tilting her head back. "Don't stop," Her hands were gripping his hair. 'Give it all to me Mr. Wayne. Give it all!"

Bruce was losing himself to pleasure as his teeth were nipping deeper into her breast; his arms were sliding down to her thighs. He pushed into a nearby bookshelf as both of them slipped into a puddle of water and crashed to the floor. He landed hard on his back and she was pressing her full weight into him. She straddled her thighs against his hips and ran her thumb over his forehead, smoothing off the dark bangs hanging over his scorching eyes. Then she petted his hair back and bent her body to plunge her tongue into his mouth.

Without warning the lights flicked off.

"What was that?" she asked, as her breath ghosted over his lips. Bruce looked at her sheepishly.

"I think my power's been shut off." he admitted with a hoarse voice and stroked his hand through her wet strands "I don't mind the dark."

"Then that's another thing we have in common." She ejected, sinking her body deeper until she felt the pressure of his groin. "I think tonight I'm going to find out just what else you keep in your pants." She slid down his body, arching her back like a cat, and she starting unzipping his fly with a deadly smirk twisted on her swollen lips. She quickly opened his fly and fingers moved steady along the fabric of his boxers. "Ready for a thrill handsome?"

"Yes," Bruce hissed out. His lips became opened and tongue curled as she pushed the material down his legs. He closed his eyes blissfully as all flow moved into the south direction of his groin. He was firm and ready to enter her enter. She opened her legs wider over his strong legs. Sweat was pouring out of him as more flickers of the storm lightened their half-naked bodies. She looked at him with hypnotizing smoky dark eyes; mascara was rolling down her cheeks as she unzipped her jeans, and slipped off her black panties until she was bare.

"Don't be shy Mr. Wayne. This kitty doesn't bite." she enticed, licking her bottom lip slowly with her tongue and she was smiling rocking her body into him feeling the pressure of his groin enter her core as both of their bodies jerked with untamed movement. She listened to his heavy cotton balls of breath, and watched his eyes fluttered at the warm pleasure she offered him. "I...take it that you need this." she said in a hitching tone. She pushed harder feeling the flow stream as screamed out lyrics her song of sexual enjoyment as he sank deeper; thrusts were growing sharp and uncontrollable making their bones twist and crackle. They were both panting; her hands whirled through the indents of his flaming chest. He looked into lovingly into her eyes as he sank deeper slowly and carefully. Her thighs squeezed against his hips and she licked the water off his abdomen.

"You're beautiful Selina," he breathed out, calling her by her first name. He grinned faster into her body feeling the urge to release liquid further into her. She opened her mouth and gritted her teeth, as he released more overwhelming sharp thrusts that pounded against her lithe frame. She was demanding in a biting tone. Demanding for more force to rattle her body. Demanding for him to engulf her senses with endless pleasure that she carved.

"More," she threw out, core tingling to the vibrations of his body as sexual fulfillment was being forged between them. She felt his stomach tighten as her breath was becoming strangled. She was on the edge of a glorious orgasm; head jerked as her hair rushed across his throat send splashes of water on the floor.

Bruce lifted off the floor, wincing from the throbbing igniting in his bones. He smiled a seductive smile as his mouth opened...then he nipped neck touching her jugular vein. She gasped as his lips touched the sensitive spots while pumping a river liquid heat into her. He pulled his lips away for a quick moment of breath not she refused to let him rest. She bent down and aligned her lips with his mouth. Her tongue entwined with his.

A variety of responses ripped from their throats. Bruce was literally into the wood of the floor as his thoughts became focused on her. Everything was about her. He wasn't concerned about facing Bane in the late hours of light, being a broke with only a few envelopes of cash stored in the Bat Cave or the fact that Alfred and him departed with not good terms. Right now he owned this woman who made him laugh when she stole from him. He felt connected to her body. Almost like soul mates destined to be together. He has exposing all emotions to her. Unmasking himself to a woman unabashed his mortal codes. He had trusted her, ever since he laid his eyes on her in the east wing of his father's house. But he also knew that trusting someone could be a blessing or a curse.

Selina could still feel him latched into her, and a cold sweat trickling down to her lower back. She felt a strange conflicting sense ravage through her body as she stared into his hazel eyes and his thin wavy lips. She bit her bottom lip as she felt him unlock and pull out of her. He was finished. He slipped out and looked steadily into her beauty. A finger ran over her lips as she watched his lips curve into a smile. No words were spoken between them as they sat in the darkness staring at one other's expression shift with different emotions. He was close to telling her the truth that he was man she was going to lead into the tunnels to encounter Bane's raw power for the first time. Instead he placed both of his hands on her neck and slowly bought his lips to her mouth as he caress a soft kiss with a gesture of tenderness, allowing the bare confession of his identity melt inside her mouth.

She broke her lips away and nuzzled her face against his cheek. He looked at with honesty imbedded in his intense hazel eyes and then pressed his brow against hers.

"Selina," he swallowed. "There's something I need to tell. I might not get a chance-"

She placed a finger on his lips and smiled. Her instincts told her to say three words.

"It can wait."

He nodded and then bought his back to hers as his hand moved up to cradle her face as he kissed her.

Their lips came apart. They clung to each other in darkness.

* * *

A short time later, after small meal. Both Bruce and Selina were nestled together in front of a crackling fire. Wet clothes discarded upon the floor. Heaps of blankets and cushions were piled up to form a cozy love nest in front of the hearth. Selina was curled near the fireplace with only a blanket covering her naked form; she poked at few logs as Bruce looked at her with a sheer bliss etched across his face as the glow of flames burnished her bare skin. It had been a long time since he was in the arms of a beautiful woman, let alone one as remarkable as Selina Kyle.

She stared into the flames. "Your friend can't beat Bane. He'll be dead before-"

"Batman will fight harder," he said. "Like he's always has."

She narrowed her eyes; lips were quivering as he felt his hand massaged her neck. "I know what Bane is capable of," she said with a distant voice has her self-possessed mind drifted from her own selfish actions making her feel insane. "He is death."

Selina had seen experiences of death, old friends getting filled with bullets, beating by senselessly by bare hands of drunks and dying in trash filled gutters. She became immune to facing death. She became immune to condemn good people who try to bring out the best in her. But she knew the truth, she wasn't changing her ways. She would always be the seductress, efficient con artist and the uncaring opportunist.

She returned and snuggled beside him once more, drawing the covers over them. It was warmer than any fire, he thought. He looked deeply into those big, indescribably dark brown eyes of hers. He gently traced her lips with his finger. And then moved his hand down to her shoulder brushing as a scar that marred her pale flawless complexion.

"A souvenir from an old mistake," she said.

"I've made a few of those," he confessed, staring back into her eyes trying to unravel her mystery. She was so well guarded with contained emotions, so unreadable and impossible - but there were moments that he caught her with honest eyes and a fraction of her heart opened.

"More than I few," she treated him with an enticing smile before imploring unexpectedly to him. "Come with me. You don't have to stick around in this city. We can leave. Tonight. Go everywhere we want."

It was tempting, he mused, especially being trapped behind the walls of Wayne Manor for those lonely eight years without experiencing life. But he remembered Gordon in the hospital bed- and Officer John Blake counting on him for help against Bane. He knew that she was going to leave him soon, and go get ready for their meeting in the tunnels.

"Maybe. Someday, perhaps. But not tonight." he said, placing a hand on her cheek as he pulled her close, inviting soft and perfect kisses. They folded into each other forming a warm beating heart in the middle of the cold, empty house. Bruce lost himself into her.

Selina opened her eyes and stared at each other, both trying to understand what each other was thinking in that moment.

For the first in years she felt like it was being in welcoming home as he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Bruce kissed her one last time before they parted. His kiss was soft and adoring as he pulled away, his sweaty brow against hers as he held her face in his hands with an expression of gratitude of the warmth she had bought back into his life. He whispered. "Selina,"

She smirked and replied. "Think about my offer." she kissed him one more time not knowing that he was the man she was turning over to Bane. She slipped out of his arms and grabbed her damp clothing. "For you, I can make an exception for a destination."

He narrowed his eyes and said with soft words, "I'll think about it." He lifted his gaze back.

But she was gone.

She had disappeared just like she did on the rooftop.

A small, sweet smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he grunted.

"She's good at that."

* * *

Moments after, Bruce crept silently into the study and took the hidden elevator down to the Batcave. He leaned against the steel wall, rubbing his finger over his crimson stained protruding lips as the taste of her lips still lingered. He entered the dark dwelling of the damp limestone and the restless scores of brown bats fluttering in the roost amidst the jagged stalactites hanging from the ceiling. He swiftly moved across the dark slate of the footbridge. The glass encased cabinet rose from the murky waters as he gazed at the hollow eyes of cowl.

He touched the Kevlar plates gently from a moment, thinking about all the past battles the armor endured from the chaotic mind of the Joker and the unforgiving marred face of Harvey Dent. He took the cowl off the shelf and stared down at the mask that concealed identity and protected the people he held close to his heart.

Should I tell her, he thought as he ran his hand over the smooth graphite of cowl that caused his injured knee to jerk with reluctance. He contemplated for a moment, at the insane idea of having a relationship with a woman who loved to twist the rules he followed into her own code of ethics. He couldn't risk losing her like how he lost Rachel because she knew his true face. But still his body burned for more moments with Selina without masks. He wanted to get close to her.

If all went well, he might take up her offer of leaving Gotham with her.

As he turned his head and looked over at a serving tray that Alfred had left on the computer desk. He closed his eyes as memory of old English man talking to him in the cave rippled through his mind.

_"Every year I took my holiday," Alfred said, trying to explain."I'd go to Florence. There's a café by the Arno. Any fine evening I would sit there and order a Fernet- Branca. I had a fantasy I indulged in often. I liked to imagine that one day I'd look across the tables and see you there. Sitting there with your wife, perhaps some children. You wouldn't say anything to me, but we both know...that you'd made it. That you were happy."_

He fluttered his eyes opened and quickly put on the pieces the suit. He felt the power scorched through his veins, the thriving pulse of warrior's perfection of heading into battle. There were times that he enjoyed wearing his symbol, jumping off rooftops, attacking thugs at the Gotham Docks and being perched on top of tall towers looking at Gotham.

A knot of dread bubbled in his gut, he knew that his control over criminally as consuming him as each time he put the suit, his entire persona of humanity was swallowed by the raging beast that he fought every night not to lose his soul into the abyss of vengeance.

He released a sigh, as he held the mask over his head and then eased it down over his hair. He opened his eyes and stared through the slits at the darkness before clipping his belt around his waist.

Minutes later, the Bat was roaring out of the rushing waterfall, and towards downtown Gotham.


	2. Chapter 2 : Betrayal in the Darkness

**Chapter 2**

**Betrayal in the Darkness**

* * *

"Selina, what the hell is going on?" Jen urged with a hint of anger rattling in her throat. She watched her mentor flip-up night vision goggles 360 degree that settled gently above straighten auburn. "You're in trouble?"

"You don't know the half it , princess," Selina discharged, moving the balcony doorway. "Let's just say that you better pray that I have nine lives tonight." she paused feeling her stomach whirl with unknown emotion. Her gloved fingers ran over the wooden frame of the door. "Whatever happens to me tonight..." she swallowed thickly before concluding. "I know that I've not been there for you...I made a promise that I would keep you safe from the assholes of this hell hole. I'm sure I have disappointed you."

Jen arched one eyebrow and stared at her with a questionable gaze. "Selina, what are you talking about?"

"I don't know." Selina replied, with a breathless exhale. "There's a storm coming. You might be left to fend for yourself. If I survive another night I'm getting the hell out of this dodge. I know that you will make it, Jen. Just like I made it." She walker closer, placed her hand firmly on the girls shoulder. "Stay away from the assholes they're not a worth cent of your time."

Selina pulled away, her heart was racing as thoughts of Bruce Wayne skirted across her mind, leaving her to feel cold and hollow. She clenched her fingers into a fist, allowing a rush of anger to consume her. Her breath became deep, heavy panting, lips burned with his lingering kiss, she gulped down the night air and turned her dark eyes to the darken sky, feeling her anger seep through the misty chasms of her graying soul.

"See you around, princess." She said, slipping into the umbra of the fire escape. She saw silhouettes of her fears dancing on the brick walls. She knew that forever she would be collecting jewels and regrets. Her shaky hand gripped the railing, as her heels nip street level, where she blended within her domain of darkness and felt swirl of guilt rising in her gut, and it made her feel unfocused, weak and depressed...she always had no reason to care for a man. She was never empathic. She was never one attachment, but somewhere deep inside her, she knew that tonight she would taste the bitterness of her worst mistake.

* * *

The lights of city sparkled like tiny glittering jewels just waiting to be stolen just waiting to be stolen by thieves and murderers who were his quarry. Late-night traffic cruised the streets hundreds of feet below. Nearing the rendezvous spot, Batman killed the headlights and main engines. The Bat descended down into stealth mode as it quietly auto-rotated down the city's sleeping concrete canyons. He paused in thought for a moment, glazing his tongue over his lips, tasting the linger flavor of her lips. He shifted his eyes and checked the digital chronometer.

_Right on time,_ he thought, easing the Bat down into the shadows of a back alley way. The cock pit hissed open and he quickly climbed down and his feet crunched over the fragments of broken glass. He scanned the area with a alert gaze before melting into the darkness.

* * *

Selina felt pulse start to elevate and senses became entranced with the creature of the night emerging from his dark domain. Her gut twisted dread, excitement and curiosity. "Don't be shy," she purred, flattening her back against the cement column, playing all innocent and leaving plenty of space between her and the dark wraith emerging out of the shadows with an impressive gleam behind the slits of the cowl. "Wayne says you can get me the Clean Slate." she said without preamble.

Batman walked closer and mounted his feet on the cement platform in front of her, and allowed to drink up the sight of the efficient cat burglar in skin-tight, black costume and domino mask. He was so preoccupied with raking his intense gaze over her that he almost didn't notice she was mirroring the same over his suit.

"That depends," he said using his growl for good measure. She eyed him warily.

The sound of his deep baritone made her eyes grow heavier and darker. "On what?"

"On what you want it for," he replied pretending that he didn't know her escape plan. "I acquire to keep it out of the wrong hands."

"Still don't trust me, huh?" A shadow of a sly smirk crossed over her lips. "How can we change that?"

"Start by taking me to Bane."

Selina gulped down, wishing that she could find a way to talk him out of entering Bane's personal death row, then shrugged because through she respect for him, he abashed everything she stood for and he wasn't Bruce Wayne. She mashed her teeth into her bottom lip, planning her next move of returning to Wayne Manor and jetting out of Gotham with Bruce, away from the storm. But was only after the battle would be complete. She shrugged.

"You asked," she said, and without a warning she sprang down onto the tracks, making not a sound. Batman regained his focus off her curves and followed closely behind her as she led him into a murky service tunnel.

They descended deeper beneath they city, leaving the subway system behind as they threaded through a labyrinth of forgotten utility tunnels. Cobwebs hung from the darken ceilings. Rats scurried away, making Selina inwardly cringe as she listened to water dripping down and into the cracks of cement.

Batman don't keep his eyes off her, maybe it was because he shared earthshaking sex on the floorboards of Wayne Manor. Maybe he was starting to fall in love with her. Whatever the reason, if he survived this night, he would get to unmask her. He was inches away from her body, his hand was close to reach of hers. Selina stopped, peered around, and spoke, her voice was low.

'From here, Bane's men patrol the tunnels." she said, "and they are not your average brawlers."

"Neither am I," he replied, listening to footsteps echoed up ahead. He paused and watched her signal him before grabbing onto a hanging pipe and swinging up and out of sight. Following her lead, he melted into the darkness, with his cape draped over his chest.

Moments later, a squad of mercenaries came through a passage, patrolling the tunnel. Leather jackets, military fatigues and automatic weapons. Made it clear to him that they weren't maintenance workers, nor were they ordinary thugs. "Shadows," he grumbled in a low tone, making silently into a dark crevice of the a hanging pipe. He stared at him as they methodically scanned the dimly lit tunnel, but he could tell they didn't expect to find anything. Their guns were slung toward the floor.

Selina dropped nimbly behind them. "He's behind you," she warned.

The lead mercenary spun around in surprise. His eyes widened at the sight of the slender feline intruder. Confusion furrowed on his brow. "Who?" he demanded.

Batman dropped from the ceiling, hanging upside down like a giant bat. "Me," he growled. He raised his cape and yanked the startled shooter's weapon before slamming him like a wave of darkness, and then vanished back into the shadows. Caught be surprised, the other gunmen opened fire. Muzzle flares lit up the murky tunnel, and bullets blasted away at the ceiling.

The echoes were deafening now.

Selina darted around the corner, pursued by a shouting mercenary. He tried to keep the elusive feline figure in his sights, only to feel powerful hands grab onto his shoulders and yank him into the dark. His terrified scream was cut off abruptly and his weapon clattered to the floor.

_Two down_, Batman thought. He scanned the area. _Where is Selina? _He saw a thug chasing her to a tight corner. Instantly a protective nature coursed through his veins. He followed within the umbra and watched a sleek leg raise and the sharp heel of a boot nick the mercenary's face. The stunned gunman tumbled to the ground. Selina walked away from her hiding spot with a prideful grin played over her lips._  
_

Batman disappeared within the shadows and picked off the rest of the patrol, one by one. A grappling line yanked one man off his feet, so that his head smacked against the hard stone floor. Skulls were slammed together by his hands that struck silently from the darkness. An expert jab to a crucial nerve center dropped another man to the floor. The guns went silent. replacing by echoes of screams, grunts and bone-crushing thuds.

Disposing the last of the men. Batman caught up with Selina. He followed her down a dark tunnel and onto a long metal catwalk. The shadows were too deep for him to find the details in his surroundings, but he heard run off water rushing beneath the like an underground river. The lack of odor indicated that the water had been purified.

"Just a little further," she promised, swallowing down a building knot in her throat. Batman stepped onto the catwalk as she backed away.

A heavy metal grate closed the distance between them. like a portcullis in a medieval fortress. Bright halogen lights flared overhead, exposing the hidden lair deep within the sewers. A small army of mercenaries glared down from various elevated gantries and platforms. The catwalk led between twin waterfalls that poured foaming water into a rushing channel.

Suddenly, Batman sense the coldness reeking from her body. He furrowed his brow underneath the mask.

"Sorry," Selina said from the other side of the grate. He saw the turn of her betrayal imbedded in her misty eyes. "I had to fine away to stop them trying to kill me."

Underneath the cowl, Bruce felt his heart shatter. He realized then that she had deliberately lured him into the trap. His piercing hazel eyes looked deeply into her dark ones. He was disappointed by her betrayal. He poured out his heart and soul to her. Now, he felt the rising fire burn deep into his bones. "You've made a terrible mistake," he whispered in a low voice.

"Not as serious as yours, I fear." a deep muffled voice interjected.

Batman turned to see the masked figure emerging from behind the curtains of rushing water. He recognized the man's skull-like mask and powerful physique from the security footage at the Gotham Stock Exchange Alfred had shown him before. Thick muscles rippled underneath the brutal killer's armor chest.

"Bane."

The infamous mercenary approached him with threatening footsteps echoing against the metal of the catwalk. His icy dark eyes stared at his opponent with pure and controlled aggression flowing in his veins. His steps ceased as if he was calculating the vulnerable spots of the Kevlar armor. "Let's not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne."

Behind the bars, Selina felt her heart shudder as her lips parted to the revelation of the truth that grinding inside her bones. She swallowed thickly, feeling cold sweat trickling down her spine. Instead of averting her eyes away from the arising battle between the gladiators in the lions cage she kept her regretful eyes locked on the back of surface of the cowl of the man she made love to hours before inside the warmth study of Wayne Manor. She felt the surging guilt drifting further up the walls of her throat.

Batman settled an intense gaze on the mercenary, he felt his knee throbbing underneath the reinforce brace and the ache of his heart behind the chest piece of his suit. He wanted to turn around and stare her down with his unleashed anger but instead he positioned his body into a fighting stance and clutched his hands into fists. He observed his bulky opponent, studying the weak points of the man's body. To his surprise he only found the raw power of the League of Shadows pulsing from the thick muscles that gleamed in the dim light that shone over him like a stage light.

Without any hesitation he launched himself toward his enemy. His cloak spreading out behind him, he swooped at Bane, drawing back his fist to deliver a knockout blow. He gritted his teeth and let out a seething growl before clenching his knuckles flew at Bane, who caught it easily with his bare hand, squeezing his fingers into the veins and bones of his hand.

Grunting, Batman attempted a gut punch with his other fist, but the mercenary effortlessly blocked the blow. He ha, indeed, been trained by Ras al Ghul and the League of Shadows.

"Peace as cost you your strength," Bane declared bore savage gaze into Batman. 'Victory has defeated you."

_I just have to fight harder,_ Bruce though behind the mask. _I need to find his weakness. Every man has a weakness._

Bane turned his head and looked at Selina and laughed with a beastly tone. "Every one seems to have betrayed the great protector of Gotham." He shifted his eyes back to Batman."Just like how you betrayed Ras al Ghul."

He slammed his body full force into the vigilante's body, knocking him backwards. A roundhouse kick swept his legs out him from under him, sending him tumbling off the catwalk toward the raging sewers below. Batman hastily extended his cape, using it to glide down on to a concrete ledge located near the base of the gushing waterfalls. He winced his pain, bruised even beneath his protective armor. He lifted his head catching a glance at Selina's slender form standing motionless. "I trusted you," he faintly ejected before looking at Bane clambering down after him, swinging down a chain, while his men watched in disciplined silence, enjoying the duel. Hoping to buy some time, Batman plucked a handful of miniature flash-bangs from his utility belt and flung them at his pursuer. The charges went off like firecrackers, producing a disorienting barrage of sparks, noise and smoke.

Yet Bane didn't flinch from his high point.

'Theatrically and deception are powerful agents," he jumped down quoting the famous of words of Ras l Ghul. 'to the uninitiated."

_Alfred was right_, Batman realized. This man of couldn't be underestimated. He knew he had made a serious mistake of allowing his pride to take hold of his judgement._ It's going to take everything I have to beat -if it's even possible._

Determined to put Bane on the defensive, Batman lunged at him again, striking out his fists and boots. Bane effortlessly countered his moved. It was like fighting Ras again, except Bane was younger and stronger than their shared mentor. He targeted the vulnerable parts of Batman's body armor, inflicting the maximum pain possible. His fists felt like cobra strikes against the flesh and muscle underneath as he displayed no weakness of his own.

Selina narrowed her eyes and watched them break apart, facing each other off in between the flowing channels of water. Bane looked like he was just warming up. Batman was releasing heaving breaths, his age was showing through his sluggish movements. "Come on Wayne," she whispered. " Beat this guy."

"But we are initiated aren't we Bruce? The League of Shadows." Bane's voice echoed through the chamber. He glared at Batman over the bizarre that hid the bottom half of his face. Batman peered closely at the hidden features. It seemed that the man's nose was just a piece underneath the metal tubing. The scorn dripped from his harsh voice. Air hissed from the mask. "And you betrayed us."

"Us?" Batman echoed as Bane punched feverishly in midsection. He felt the mercenary vice like grip around his throat as he was hoisted by one arm into the air. "You were excommunicated-from a gang of psychopaths." His voice straggled as he could feel his fingers pressing against his neck.

Bane rejected the accusation.

"Now I am the League of Shadow," he declared. "And I am here to fulfill Ras al Ghul's destiny...By destroying Gotham."

"Never," Batman growled. There were too good people living here. He wasn't going to allow someone to open up Pandora's box inside the Gotham he loved.

Bane released Batman from his grasped and allowed his cowled opponent to staggered back onto his feet.

Batman hurled himself at his opponent, knocking him onto his back beneath the flowing waterfall, where he hammered his aggression against the mask again and again. Clear water was cascading over their bodies , making the Dark Knight's black and choral tinged armor slickly. Any normal thug would already knocked out cold, but Bane just absorbed the blows until Batman took a moment to regain the air in his lungs.

He let up just for a moment , and Bane's brawny arms shit out like rockets, pulling Batman head down when he gave a skull smashing headbutt, sending Batman rolling aside. He arose to his feet. "You fight like a younger man," he said, his voice betraying no hint of the punishment he had received. 'Nothing held back. No reserves." he flexed his only muscles as he advanced. "Admirable. But mistaken." He turned his head, locking his cold blood eyes at Batman who was panting heavy bouts of breath.

Batman slid his hand down against the glazed armor, every fiber of his body was burning with pain. He realized that spending eight years locked away behind the walls of his family's estate had taken a toll of his peak human conditioning and endurance. He felt like a frail old man. Conquering a smarter strategy of the mercenary's defeat. He flipped on his belt, triggering an EMP that knocked out all the industrial lights, throwing them all into total darkness. His ally. Night vision of his cowl allowed him to keep an eye on his adversary, who seemed to take the blackout in his stride.

Bane turned slowly, anticipating every movement and he addressed the all-encompassing shadows. His eyes gleamed. _Hiding in the shadows little bat_, his mind played. He focusing on the dancing shadow advancing to his left. "You think darkness is your ally," he said in a taunting voice. 'But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Raised by it."

Moving stealthily as a wraith, Batman circled, looking for an opening. _There has to be some way to bring him down. he thought. _He knew that he needed to strike when and where Bane least expected it. And he needed to make it count. _This could be my chance._

" I didn't see the light until I was already a man." Bane felt the swift presence breeze by him. "And by then it was nothing to me but blinding. " he snarled viciously, stepping backwards into the darkness and caught Batman's throat in his bone crushing grasp. Only the reinforced neck piece prevented Batman from getting his windpipe crushed in an instant. "The shadows betray you, because they belong to me..."

He slammed Batman into the concrete floor, hard enough to dash any others man's brains out.

Batman felt the breath being struck from his lungs. He opened his mouth and gasped violently, tossing his head from side to side as his vision was dimming. Bane used his bare fists and pounded on his cowl with unbelievable force, blow after smashing down like a jackhammer. He felt the graphite shell of his mask shattering underneath his eye and he tasted the blood washing down his throat. _No_, he thought, _That's not possible._

One final blow put him down for the count. Bane rose, towering above his battered for. He gestured upward at the vaulted ceiling, high above the vast subterranean chamber. Through blood-streaked eyes, Batman saw that a series of holes had been drilled into the ceiling. Explosive charged had been placed in each of them.

_But why?_ he wondered through the pain. _To what purpose?_

"I will show you," Bane said. "where I've made my home while preparing to bring justice to Gotham. Then...I will break you."

Selina gulped down when she heard those benumbing words rattle through the chamber. She felt every self-loathing guilty thought clot her mind. She narrowed a shameful gaze at Batman knowing that she had this was the most valuable thing she'd stolen from him. His life.

A mercenary tossed the detonator to Bane. His men backed away, seeking shelter inside tunnels, and alcoves. Selina watched anxiously from the other side of the grate. She covered her ears.

Bane pressed the button.

The charges went off, causing a controlled implosive high above their heads. Thunderous echoes rocked the chamber, making Batman's ear bleed. The ceiling caved in and rubble of cement rained down into the sewers, splashing water everywhere.

Artificial light poured down from above, revealing the levels of Applied Sciences.

_It can't be,_ Bruce thought in horror. Then realization struck home. _We were under Wayne Tower all this time._

The bottom had dropped out from Lucius Fox's secret weapons storehouse. Dangerous prototypes lay scattered about like from some deadly, high-tech pinata. A tumbler, its desert camouflage of little use in these dismal catacombs, landed atop a pile of debris. Loose papers and bots of ash wafted down through the jagged gap in the ceiling.

"No," Batman murmured weakly.

"Your precious armory," Bane confirmed. "Gratefully accepted." He swept is over the fallen spoils. "We will need it."

Bane's men clambered up into the violated bunker. They moved efficiently, ransacking Applied Sciences even as security alarms blared stridently. The mercenaries set a bucket brigade to hand the stolen goods from each man to the next, down into the tunnels. The other tumblers were hauled toward the gap.

_I can't let this happen._ Bruce thought._ I can't..._ He staggered on the grated chamber...vision foggy and body unsteady as he swayed his feet to his masked aggressor. His cracked cowl slipped over his sweat glazed cheek, he tasted the warm blood seep down his throat...his eyes shifted to her with a disappointed gaze...

He raised his fists and unleashed a fierce growl.

Selina's gloved fingers clutched the rusted gate that separated her from the gladiator arena of steel and leaking pipes... she felt the coldness enter her bones as Bane's footsteps echoed in her ear drums...a arctic chill raced down her spine rendering her to be numb and motionless...this was her punishment she couldn't escape from.

"I wondered what would break first-"

Bane moved swiftly behind Batman, punched him forcefully into the skull...knocking him down. Batman spat out gob of blood...tasting bile rising in his throat...everything was turning red.

He threw a punch but as instantly knocked down. He felt Bane's strong hands crush his rib cage.

"Your spirit..."

Bane lifted his defeated opponent and hoisted him up over his head.

She cringed listening to a high pitch screech pierce from Batman's blood stained lips...it sounded like a cat being tortured. She slammed her eyes shut feeling the backhand of guilt whip across her face...she lead a trusting man into a death trap to save her own skin...she was a devil...she felt condemned from making a serious mistake of her life. Her mind rephrased the words he told her moments ago...they haunted her like a lingering wraith.

A growl echoed in the dense air ...Batman tried to twist himself free out of Bane's grasp...he was weak...and tired...he couldn't escape.

Selina felt her heart racing...she watched Bane's armored knee elevate...breath escape from her lungs as she tried to scream but it was too late. She heard the shattering words of Bane's muffled voice.

"...Or your body." Bane concluded.

"Bruce," she whispered, finger nails dug into the bars and she watched Bane savagely bring Batman down and bending his spine backwards. A horrific crack rattled through the air. She felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.

She gasped out loud. "What have I done?"

Bane turned his deadly gaze to her direction and dumped the limp body of Batman to the puddles. He crouched down and tugged the cracked graphite off his victim, exposing the battered and bloody face of Bruce Wayne...dark camouflage makeup smeared over closed eyes and dark brown hair was drenched with sweat.

He beckoned to his men. "Remove him." he said, holding up his hollow trophy of his victim and staring into the empty eyes of the Dark Knight. He lifted his merciless eyes at her and spoke. "You're services are longer required, Miss Kyle." He turned his back to her and dropped the piece of the cowl onto the cement.

Selina's eyes filled with moisture ...she backed away and melted into the shadows.

* * *

Sometime afterwards, Selina silently climbed down to the lower level of the platform, she felt her knees wobble her balance and crashed down, staring at the drops of blood that had escaped from Bruce's mouth. She felt the toxic acid of her stomach churning as the words of guilt became branded across her pale brow, she lifted up the half piece of the cowl and held it close to her chest.

_Bruce._


	3. Chapter 3 : The Kindling Fire

**Chapter 3 **

**The Kindling Fire **

* * *

"No. No means, no, kid." Selina snarled.

She tossed her folded sweater into the suitcase and rubbed at her temple with white polished nails, glowering at her young protegé as pushed the wrinkled contents of clothing down with her hands. The scent of the dingy sewer was still seeping from her pores, she half-scoffed the unclean stench of guilt with a fiery look to the rain drops streaming down the glass her cracked window. She moved closer to vanity, her ballet flats slipping on the floor. She stood and looked out at grim cloud out hovering over the skyline of Gotham, sighing as she did so.

"Selina...you're acting away out of character." Jen pressed. "You always spoke of grasping the opportunity when it crossed your path. This is a huge score for us. Not to mention a score to settle those debts of yours. There's no way you can back out of this."

Jen walked up behind her and stood enough to feel her mentor fuming, Selina stalked away from the vanity and moved to the closer, she placed the palm of her hand on the cool glass, though she could feel the teenagers light blue eyes narrowing with disapproval even as she kept her back turned to her. She didn't want to look at the annoying puppy dog face - straggly strands of strawberry blonde hair and the fish net sleeved shirt that revealed most of her black bra underneath and the same air of arrogance that she carried with her was worse than ever. She kept her mind locked on thoughts as she anticipated her next move to bail out of the Gotham. She had more than enough to survive until another opportunity of a thrilling heist would come through.

"I took you in to teach you how to survive with the skills that I acquired. I don't give a shit how much money you will receive from drunken asshole." she lightly hissed rubbing her finger over her tensed brow. She let out a heavy breath and then turned around to looked at the teenager. "Look kid, whatever you do and chose to grasp in your life is your choice. Don't ever go behind my back again."

"You think I like living in this shithole...Selina, your the one that raised me in it." she pouted. "Don't go getting all pissy on me because you didn't receive your big score." Jen pointed her hand to the broken cowl on the couch. "What the hell is that thing?"

Selina eyed her friend wearily. "It's not important , princess. Just a something to reminded me how cold this damn city can be." She felt a chill rush over her lips the guilt of her betrayal edged at her soul. 'My advice to you, go find your own escape route." She shifted her eyes to the window. "Before the storm hits."

Jen came up behind her and rested her chin on Selina's shoulder, as she wrapped her arms around the young brunette's waist. "What happened last night, Selina?" she asked, looking back at the half mask. "Wait, that looks like Batman's mask." She knitted her eyebrows with confusion and settled her eyes back on Selina. "How did you get the Bat's mask? I wonder how much it would sell for. I'm guessing fifty bucks. Easy."

Selina froze, her heart was racing as images of Batman battered face swirled in her mind, leaving her body feeling cold and hollow. She felt like she had no more soul. She clenched her fingers on the drape as, after long moments of regaining her thoughts, the undertow of rage swelled from the void within her, and she couldn't stop it. She shifted her eyes to the broken mask of Batman and gritted her teeth until a numbing sensation brushed over her gums. She throat constricting as she let out her liberation of words.

"You know what, Jen." she said as blood pulsed in her veins fueling her anger. "I hate the fact that everything I have is considered yours. Your little sad little puppy, begging and not not following your own ambitions. Here's reality sweetheart start doing things on your own. Learn the hard way as I did." she curved her lips into a unnerving scowl. "But you won't because your a little stray kitten that walks down the same line as I walk. I'm just the cat that took you in from the cold when one else wanted you." she continued. "Now you have the boldness to claim that mask as your own spoil."

Jen felt moisture building in her eyes as she unlatched herself from Selina. She moved to the couch and lifted up the cowl "Why do you give a shit about this mask?" She looked at the cracks of graphite and the stains of dried blood. "It's worthless."

Selina's eyes burned with kindling flames. "I give a shit because a good man wore that mask. An _actual_ good person. One who didn't deserve to be betrayed by a heartless bitch. And I'll fucking angry with you if you drop it."

"What the hell as happened to you, Selina?" Jen placed the mask against a cushion. "You never used to say these words...especially to me." she shifted her teary eyes to the piece of graphite. "Whoever the man was underneath that fucking thing change you. Made you soft like everyone else. The Selina Kyle that I know, it's soft. She's hard core. And doesn't give a damn about anyone." she gulped down, looking into the deadly gaze of dark coffee starting back at her. "I looked up to you. You were everything that I wanted to be, Selina."

Selina lowered her eyes to the floor. "I wouldn't want to be me, princess." she dejected with sunken words. "You have a chance to have a better life." she lifted her eyes and looked directly at her friend. "To escape from the storm that is approaching this city." She felt deep, panting and overwhelming breaths piercing her lungs as she gulped down catching a shadow across the street. A mercenary getting a scope of her position. And then she slipped away from the window and moved to a little black Givenchy dress hanging on the edge of the bathroom door. She quickly swiped the dress and moved into the bathroom.

Jen flattened her back against the door and watched Selina put her long hair neatly into a classy French style bun as the brunette made the final adjustments to her wardobe a black blazer that over the elegant dress before easing a black brimmed hat over her styled her. She stepped up and stared at Jen with a confident look. She sauntered to the bookshelf and pulled on black gloves over her hands.

"So where are you heading off too," Jen asked, watching the classy dressed woman zip up her suitcase, and black leather bag and clicked her heels to the threshold. "A funeral," she teased with a snorting giggle. "You look like a woman who's going to pay respects to a corpse."

Selina rolled her eyes at her friends retort. "No," she turned her gaze to the half-faced cowl and let out a swallow breath. "There's nothing for me here that is worth to stay." She pocket out a plane ticket from her brazer's pocket and looked at the destination printed on the top of the boring pass. Italy. She placed her hand firmly on Jen's shoulder. "See you around, kid."

Jen nodded. "Goodbye, Selina." she swallowed thickly. "I hope one day we'll cross paths again."

Selina gave her teenage friend an assuring smile before saying, "Remember what I taught you."

"Don't become attached to anything." Jen recited." Because everything is impermanent."

"That's my girl." Selina said, and rolled the suitcase out of the doorway.

Jen gave her friend a little wave before walking over the couch. She scooped up the mask and moved to the vanity, she crouched down and opened Selina's treasure chest and placed the the piece of Batman among the all other well kept items including Selina's tattered dairy, drawing tools and a pile sketch books. She closed the chest with a faint smile.

* * *

Darkness was consumed with unbearable cries of anguish. Tensed discomfort etched on his bruised and bloodied features, bile crept up the walls of his raw throat. He opened his mouth and allowed watery fluid mixed with blood seep down his chin. He was fighting against the bright light that hung over him. But he was disturbed by intense waves of distress. His cheeks were moist with tears and salty sweat as he panted heavy breaths trying to the jolting pain of his back. He furrowed his brow and his blood shot eyes darted open, he tried to adjust his blurry vision and stared at the metal haul of the roaring aircraft.

Bruce released a wispy breath as he tasted the acid dripping down his throat. "Where," he starting spew out contents from his stomach. He lifted his hand to his chest and releasing that his bat suit was stripped off of him. "My suit." He was clothed in a white dirty shirt that stank like the backwash of the sewers.

"The filthy swine is awake," he heard a European accent wafted from behind. The voice was strange, timid and venomous. He shifted his throbbing eyes to a mercenary loading a tranquilizer into an automatic rifle and aiming it at his neck. He moved his body instead he opened his mouth and unleashed a piercing cry of agony. 'You're not going anymore," he heard the man's voice growl, the trigger was pulled. "Bane wants you to rest. You're going to sleep. When you awake you'll be in hell."

Bruce jolted as the dart pierce his neck. He felt the liquid streaming in his veins. He slammed his head against the steel floor and drifted into unconscious state.

The mercenary arose from his position as Bane entered the cargo hold. 'Wayne awoke," he said, with a shaky tone. "I dosed with a highly effectively tranquilizer. He won't awake until we reach the pit."

Bane crouched down and squeezed the debilitated billionaire's cheeks with his massive hands. "He has a fighting spirit," his voice muffled beneath the tube mask. "But he has lot his years of solitude weaken his body. He will serve his punishment when he watches his ungrateful city burn." he pressed his fingers harder into Bruce's temple. "Then he will die slowly as all his strength and will leaves his body." he chucked lightly moving Bruce's limp head back and forth as if he was ready to break his defeated opponents neck. "A fitting fate for an unappreciated hero of Gotham."

He straightened from the floor and looked at the paralyzed billionaire with cold eyes. He turned his gaze to the mercenary. 'Make sure he's kept well for the rest of the journey."

The mercenary nodded at his commanders orders. "When do you want me to administer the morphine?"

"Let the betrayer suffer." Bane replied, moving out of the cargo hold area. "For that is least of the pain he will endure."


	4. Chapter 4 : Mocking of Guilt

**Chapter 4**

** Mocking of Guilt**

* * *

_Can't a girl get a ride in this city,_ Selina thought as she was waiting on the curb with her raised high into the air to hail a Gotham yellow cab. She was too elegantly attired for her part of town, the black brimmed hat was shading over her pale striking features and the luggage bags were firmly gripped inside her curled gloved fingers.

She huffed out a sigh of impatience, glaring at the passing traffic with pools of her dark coffee-colored eyes. She sensed that a pair of eyes were watching her every move from the shadows as her eyes quickly swept over the narrow alleys across the street. An unmarked GCPD vehicle spiked her adrenaline. "Now this is interesting," she murmured, looking directly at the driver through the light tinted window.

Something about him struck her as familiar, it didn't take her long to place him. A memory- of a daring young officer emerging from the locked bars of the sleazy downgraded bar responding in her performance of high pitch screams-flashed through her mind. That night when she had double crossed by Stryver.

She squinted her eyes as she peered at the youthful silhouette of the young cop.

_Shit. _she thought, shifting her eyes to a cab pulling to the cab. "Better luck next time." she jeered, opening the backseat door and climbing gracefully inside. She removed the boarding pass from the pocket of her pocket and looked down at the destination. She had all planned. First she will enjoy the Italian decadence of Venice and Florence. Then when boredom would finally hit, she would hop on a jet and travel to Germany, France and finally settle down for a few months in Monty Carlo. A suitable plan for an efficient con woman of practicality and deception. A shadowy smirk crossed over her lips as she adjusted her skirt and settled her back into the leather seat. She closed her eyes and let out a faint sigh.

With the ticket clutched in her hand, she opened her eyes and stared out at the downtown towers of Gotham's financial district, she tried to the avert her eyes from the gleaming black building that had the name WAYNE bolted across the top as a biting chill entered through her bones. She thought she could escape the torment by allowing her desires of plundering Italian jewelry boutiques to ease off the tension that would seep out of her-but the guilt of betraying the self-righteous Dark Knight was tapping her inner feline. She no longer felt the freedom that her soul craved. She tried focusing on the target stores she had listed in her notebook, memorizing the street corners and exit points. When that didn't seemed to dissolve the constricting emotions, she clenched her eyes and tried to focus on the sound of her own heart beat.

Her stone cold heart. She felt nothing. No warmth against the walls of her chest just pure ice of her malevolence.

Nothing worked.

It seemed harder to clear his face out of her mind, even more with the short-lived encounters they shared in the daylight and evening hours.

She never had a reason to care. She was never a woman to allow herself to catch with her emotions off- guard and stare into the eyes of a man who saw right through her masks. His intense gaze through the dark slits of the cowl always make her stomach unsettle. She had nightmares about him-vivid images of Bane hoists him up into the darkness and breaking his body. Vivid images of the kiss by the fireplace they shared. Images of his soft flawless lips that gleamed when he wore the cowl. She never thought those lips would be her crème de la crème.

He wasn't like those ass hole marks that used to batter her around; the rich twists fell into her entrapment of dangerous allure, no; Bruce Wayne was a rare find- his hooded eyes revealed unspoken emotion in those depths of hazel. He was a charismatic, electrifying and mysterious man who couldn't contain himself. In a small piece of her heart, she knew that she had lost her only chance of freedom.

Her reaction of attachment and the night terrors that haunted her mind, she had always put a fine line between trust and distrust in her impermanent world. Although she was always the master of balancing both perfectly, she refused to cross that line.

Now, she felt the chains of guilt holding her down. For three nights after watching Bruce Wayne being merciless beaten by the brutal notorious and elusive terrorist of the world -she had denied her heart to the man that she abashed everything he stood for. The denial was slowly melting through. She had to keep herself busy, steal, indulge and deceive. That was always her nature. Not feeling the coldness of vehemently of denying herself during those moments when she stared into the shattered mask of Batman._ Damn that mask._

She stared out at the parking lot of the Gotham International Airport and regained her thoughts. Quickly, she paid the driver the desired cash and rubbed her hand over the handle before stepping out, the air had seemed to have gotten colder. She picked up her luggage and used her foot to close the door. Her eyes surveyed the area, noticing a few police cruisers blocking the automatic door entrance. She released a deep exhaled and gracefully clicked her three-inch heels on the lot. She raised her head with confidence, ignoring the frustration that was rattling within her and sideways glanced at the officers speaking into their radios attached to their chests, she wasn't going to allow them to invade her space. Her one tracked mind switched her gaze to the doors and her brazen poise carried her feet to the curb. She mounted her feet behind a cab and waited for the right timing to enter. An elderly man emerged out from a black town car.

_Perfect, _she thought, staring at the tall snow-white haired and round-faced gentleman. He was smartly dressed, a champagne colored jacket covering his slumped oddly seemed to be familiar. She raked her eyes over him for a few seconds and quickly placed him as the English butler of Wayne Manor.

"Alfred Pennyworth," she whispered, her mind conquered up his name. She trailed behind him closely as they both emerged through the automatic doors that slid open. Her eyes narrowed at the bordering pass sticking out from his vest's pocket. She mentally read out the destination. Florence, Italy. Instantly she felt her eyebrows furrowed as the older man lumber through the airport and crossed over to the airport security area. She gingerly moved forwards, her eyes observing the police officers leading against the walls of the rest rooms area. She kept her gaze locked directly on Alfred, staring a particular shroud of despair shadowing over his wrinkled features.

"I wonder what is the reason he's going to Florence," she mumbled and took out her ticket and moved through airport security without a hitch. She walked briskly through behind him towards the boarding room, while staring up at the departures on the monitors. Her flight was on-time and leaving soon. With any luck she would across the ocean and far away from the storm that was forming over Gotham. She lowered her head down slightly as a two GCPD officers pointed her out through the crowd. "Great," she sighed in frustration. "Nothing is ever easy."

Heading toward the gate, she spotted an uniformed office checking her out. Judging by his smug expression, he wasn't just appreciating her classy figure. _Time to improvise, _she thought.

Veering away from the main concourse, she ducked into a secluded service corridor, ignoring the signs that labeled authorized personal only. As she excepted, then cop followed her. He rounded the corner, she fumbled through her purse and grabbed a makeup compact, quickly started applying a fresh layer of powder on her cheeks.

"Excuse me, Miss," he said sternly. "I need to see your ticket and identification."

"Of course," she replied with a surprised tone and fumbled once more into her purse. "Would you mind holding my hat?" she asked, handing him the hat. He accepted without thinking. "You're to kind." she smiled falsely before she gave a fist punch right thought the crown of the hat, delivering a forceful blow into his jaw. She grabbed him before his limp body crashed to the floor.

A janitor's closet provided a convenient hiding space. She crammed the unconscious cop into the confidence space and mangled the hat over his limp head. She smiled, thinking it made a statement. "Never corner a cat, handsome." she purred amusing glare and closed the door.

She adjusted her dark auburn securely into her tied up bun, pressed her hand over the door to make sure it was tightly close and slipped back into concourse. Her flight was already boarding, she could see Alfred ascending upwards on the stairs as she reached the gate.

"Goodbye Gotham," she spoke under her breath, trotting confidently down the jet-way-only to spot two scowling airport security guards waiting at the end, right before the entrance of the plane.

Rolling her eyes, she turned around and started to head the way she'd come. But a clean-cut young dark-haired man in a cheap suit stood waiting on the other end of the jet-way, blocking her exit. Her jaw stiffened as his light smirk unnerved her. She shook her head, instantly recognizing him from across the street of her apartment. He had followed her since she hailed the cab. He stepped forward holding his badge right into her face. It looked brand new.

"Leave so soon, Miss Kyle?" Blake asked, taking out a pair of handcuffs out from his pant pocket.

"Can't say I didn't try," she said taking a step back, brown eyes looking at the restraints. "Those for me?"

"Sorry, diamond brackets are hard to come by at the MCU," Blake lightly teased back, before saying. "Selina Kyle you have the right to remain silent." He watched her give him an icy glare before she turned around and faced the wall. "Anything you say and do will be held against you." He latched the handcuffs over her thin wrists and stepped away as two officers guided her back through the concourse.

Selina turned her head and looked at the plane's turbine engines starting to spin.

_So much for freedom._


	5. Chapter 5 : Interrogation

**Chapter 5  
**

**Interrogation  
**

* * *

_How the hell am I going to bail this joint ? _Selina thought, narrowed her eyes down at the pair of handcuffs snug around her delicate wrists resting on her lap and leaning against the leather chair as her legs were elegantly crossed and dark, coffee-colored eyes focused on the closed office door. Her lips were formed into a straight line as the sound of soft footfalls made her stone posture cringe, glowering at Detective John Blake entering the bright white painted office carrying a thick file tucked arm his arm. She shifted her eyes to the window, trying to conquer up options of escape.

Blake sat down in a chair across from her and started the tape recorder. This was his first formal interrogation as a detective for the GCPD, and he wanted to do everything by the book. He kept his dark chocolate-colored eyes against on her cold expression she was displaying at him and lightly smirk as if to say _you're not going no where, Miss Kyle.  
_

"I showed your picture to the congressman," he told her. "And guess what?"

"Don't tell me," Selina guessed, not making eye contact. "Still in love?"

She stiffened her jaw as the vivid memory of her limo ride with a drunken Congressman Gilly skimmed through her mind in those few moments.

_The large, grubby hand of came to rest on Selina's black silk covered thigh as she sipped her third glass of champagne in the back of the limo. Her red lips stretched into a satisfied smile , as she looked out at her dazed bait, the married Congressman Gilly , and a grin remained intact as she gently pushed the hand away. "Impatient are we, Congressman."_

_"I'm not known for being a patient man, sweetheart." Gilly slurred ruefully while downing his throat with a fourth glass of champagne that she poured for him was they passed City Hall. "Tell why...would a sweet like thing like you be employed as maid...you must be a student or something."_

_"Something like that," she purred in sultry voice, "if you keep hands to yourself I might tell you what you want to hear." Her warm breathed brushed against his neck. She reached for another bottle from the cup holder, her long nails tapped the glass. "I think you deserve to have another drink."_

_He chucked taking a large sip. "That's what I want to hear."_

_Selina smiled at him, though inside she was rolling her eyes and gagging with disgust, then she popped the cork off, and listened to the bubbles fizz, pursing her lips she poured the golden liquid into the glass and took a small slip imprinting her lipstick over the rim. She retrieved her cell phone from a strap wrapped around her leg and scowled with annoyance when she saw the incoming call of Roland Daggett._

_She sent the call to voice mail and then quickly typed a text to send to her current employer. Midnight. Tomorrow night. I have what you required._

_Gilly glanced at her phone with slight irradiation etched over his flushed features, she cringed feeling him breathing against her neck. "My penthouse isn't far with you want to try something different other than champagne."_

_"Depends of the value," she replied, looking at the new text on her screen. Every fiber of her body was whirling with dread. She knew if she bailed, she would be marked as a target and hunted down by Bane's mercenaries. She took a quick glance out of the tinted window, her eyes peering directly at a group of men in the shadows. She swallowed harshly and once again settled her eyes on the message._

_"Value? I think you're going to like what I have to offer,"_

_"Offer," she replied typing. Black Diamond bar. Old Town District._

_"I'm a man who gets want he wants. The wife is out of city."_

_Selina looked up from her phone and replied. "Probably left her diamonds behind."_

_"I still can't believe that something as gorgeous as you is from a cesspool like this?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders. "Somethings beautiful things are molded in the darkness. Ever hear of a Nightshade flower, Congressman?"_

_"Hell...what's a Nightshade?"_

_She rubbed her hand over his groin. "It's something beautiful that comes out at night. If you taste it..." a shadow of a smirk crept over her lips. "Well, let's just say it goes down sweet at first...then your senses get dulled." She ran her fingers for his wallet sticking out of his pocket. "Just when you think it was enjoyably...it bites back with a deadly punch."_

_Selina grabbed a tranquilizer capsule stashed in a clever compartment in her bra, and dropped it into his glass when he focused his eyes on her lips. She waited for it to dissolve into the champagne and lifted up the glass to his mouth while her other hand swiped his wallet._

_"Nothing like a little poison to get the job done," She murmured and watched him down content of the glass. She waited for Gilly to become unconscious and then grabbed the limo phone and told the driver the location of where she wanted to be dropped off._

_After giving instruction, she pulled out a few crisp bills from Gilly's wallet and turned her gaze away from the drool seeping out of his opened mouth. "Too much drink can go a long way, Congressman."_

"Head over heels," Blake acknowledged. "Pressing charges through." He smacked the file folder down on the desk. "You've made some mistakes, Miss Kyle."

She shrugged.

"Girl's gotta eat," she purred with a sly tone, shadows veiled over her eyes as her red full lips curved into a defiant smirk. She kept her eyes locked on to the young detective, searching for a glitter of vulnerability in his dark eyes as she started loosening the handcuffs. She narrowed her eyes, to the hand handcuffs, slipping one her wrists out of the metal restraint.

"You have an appetite," he observed, flipping through the file's contents. He glance at the printed list of her greatest hits in New York, Detroit and even a few luxury penthouses in Monty Carlo to look directly into her elusive dark eyes. His face was neutral as he asked, "Why did you run? You can't hide from us with this record."

She met his gaze without evasion.

"Maybe it's not you I'm running from." She answered, averting her eyes with a low tone laced with bitterness.

"Who then?" he took a shot. "Bane? What do you know about him?"

He cocky attitude stripped away, her lips unclasped a despondent sigh escape from the depths of her throat. "That you should be as afraid of him as I am, detective."

_She means it_, Blake realized, hearing the genuine fear in her hushed tone. "We can offer you protection..."

She instantly rolled her eyes, shooting him an incredulous look, like they both knew it was joke. Then she looked away from him, focusing on her surroundings and the exit points as she was preparing to maneuver her escape and run away from the dodge before the storm unleashed its fury over the streets of Gotham. She finally unlatched the restraints and let them slip onto the title flooring, landing near her stiletto heels as she pushed the handcuffs underneath the chair with a brazen smirk played over her lips.

"I always carry a spare, Miss Kyle," Blake replied, taking out another pair of handcuffs and sliding them across the desk. She looked at him with virulent glare. He got a distinct impression by her indifferent expression that she'd given him as much as he was going to get for the time being-at least on the record.

He switched off the tape recorder and stood up from the chair, looking at the coldness etched over her exquisite features. "When I spotted you," he said, his voice even. "I was looking for a friend. Bruce Wayne."

Selina's eyes arched, her heart started to shudder against her chest. Hot tears welled behind her eyes, threatening as he blinked and upper lip trembled as she swallowed her guilt down with a harsh gulp. She refused to state her confession, instead she kept her face rigid and released a swallow breath. Blake observed her emotions, watching her immodest semblance fade into defaulting shroud of self-condemnation. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip as tears start to stain over her dark eyeliner.

Blake stepped closer. His eyes entreated her.

"Did they kill him?"

Selina felt a shiver dance along her spine, she swallowed once again, lifting her teary eyes. "I'm not sure," she confessed, trying to kept her emotions from becoming transparent as she watched Blake's eyes drop to the floor and she knew his hand just sank deeper into the pit of his gut. He moved to the doorway, keeping his empathy firm over his youthful features as he paused in his tracks and turned around, looking at the distraught brunette clenching her fist.

"You were there, weren't you, Miss Kyle?" he asked, his voice was somber. He watched her fight the emotion, clinging to the stone walls around her was the structure threaten to crumble. "You saw everything, didn't you?"

Selina's clamped her eye's shut and slammed her fist against the leather armrest of the chair in frustration, her faltering sigh echoed through the silence of the room as she opened her eyes and settled her sideways glances to the dishearten detective staring her down. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself, needed to stop thinking about the warmth recluse billionaire that she allowed to touch her heart while she broke his into jaded pieces at the moment of her turn of betrayal. The problem, however, was everything she closed her eyes to regain her sense of peace, all she could see were his chapfallen hazel eyes staring back at her behind the iron grate.

_In her distressed mind- he was there staring through her twisting soul with a downcast semblance hidden behind the pointed eared graphite mask as gleam of anguish welled into his fervid irises of hazel, his lips were still as he looked at her with a stricken gaze that consumed her fading emotions. He shifted his eyes away from her as the footsteps of his torture echoed through the chamber walls. He slowly turned his back to her, and faced his masked opponent with a defeated poise shrouded over his slender form. She stood there in the shadows, anticipating the outcome of the battle as her body became seared with vindictive inner guilt of her turn of duplicity.  
_

Selina's eyes flashed opened and she looked into Blake's dark eyes, and wash down her dread, a slight glimmer of remorse clouded over her pale features. " I saw enough," she played with the truth rattling in her vocal cords. "It wasn't a pretty picture." She straightened on her heels and slowly moved to the window, sharpening her gaze at the sidewalk down below. Her eyes looked at him with false desperation, as her long manicured nails tapped over the wall. Interrogation was suffocation.

Blake walked closer, grabbing the handcuffs off the desk as he front in front of her, waving them inches from her face. Selina regained her composure at his bold gesture to bound her freedom-escape was her only option-fire traveled through her veins. Spinning on her heel, angry dark eyes met threatening dark eyes as they both stared at each other, anticipating their movements. "Sorry, Miss Kyle, but your appetite has cost you some time at Blackgate." he explained evenly. "I'm guessing a few years behind bars will dissatisfy your hunger."

Selina narrowed her eyes to the handcuffs, and sighed, holding out her arms, Blake attempted to lock the restraints around her wrists but a devilish smirk played on her lips as she lifted her leg and without a signal of warning she kneed him into the stomach with direct force, grabbed the handcuffs and threw them across the room before vaulting on a desk, sliding open the window and inhaling the air that buffed against her skin.

Blake cradled his arm over his gut, slight winced, "Miss Kyle, don't ," he urged.

"Sorry handsome," she purred in a flippant tone, hands gripping the metal frame of the window. "But this is where I get off." She lowered her gaze at a car GCPD cruiser below, "Have a good afternoon, detective Blake," she said teasingly, before flipping backward out the window. Blake heard her trim body impact the hood of the vehicle, he quickly leaned over the window and saw Selina rolling off the hood of the car with feline grace as she lifted her chin defiantly at him and blow him as sweet kiss into the air before disappearing into a crowd near the crossway.

Blake shook his head with a light chuckle, " I wonder if she gave, Bruce Wayne, this much trouble?"


	6. Chapter 6 : Choice

**Chapter 6**

**Choice  
**

* * *

"Jen," Selina called out, stripping her mask the moment she crossed the threshold of her cluttered apartment. Her stilettos crushed the broken shards of glass from broken champagne bottles smashed on the floorboards. She walked closer to the vanity, casting her goggles on the faded cushions of the ratty couch. Her eyes were still burning with tears, the memory of his cries echoed deep within her mind. The tingling sensation of his warm mouth against hers still lingered on her lips. She never experience this much guilt in her life, most of her victims that she used her tactics of malevolence were drunken marks, rich twits, judges and a few bar owners from the East End district. This was different, she crossed the line of destroying a noble man's trust at the moment of the turn of her betrayal behind the bar of the grate that separated her from his defeated hazel eyes. She never felt condemn, haunted and remorseful against her own selfish heart.**  
**

Her dark eyes, scanned the shadows of the apartment, clothes of unwashed clothing were in heap near bathroom, unwashed dishes piled in the sink of the kitchenette, and the stale smell of grunge from the urban decay of the walls made her stomach churn. She sat on the makeshift bed, opening up her laptop, plugging in a flash drive from security footage she managed to obtain with right persuasion with a gullible security guard from Daggett Industries into her USB port bearing black and white video from Roland Daggett's office, she peered at the images of the company CEO conversing with a dark haired exotic looking woman dressed in a dark overcoat sitting in a chair handing him a folder with diagrams of a sphere looking reactor. She quickly skimmed through the codes and information concerning the project as she plugged in other flash drive and decrypted the hidden codes making the Wayne Enterprise logo become visible on the screen. She clenched her eyes as images of Bruce Wayne were displayed on the screen with printed document highlighted in red. She right checked another secured file labeled : FIRESTORM. Her curious dark eyes, dragged and dropped the file into one of her files and pressed a key to open it.

"Firestorm," she murmured under her breath, reading the documentation with all the names of citizens of Gotham with red lines crossing out the printed out names. She swallowed a constricting lump of dread as Bruce Wayne's full name was on top of the list and continued scrolling down the list until she reached the end and discovering the grim truth behind the concealed operation called Firestorm. It was code name with the real plot of the League Shadows infiltration of the streets of Gotham with a lethal result of unknown device that had been constructed under the clearance of Wayne Enterprises with Bruce Wayne's signature handwritten clearly on the dotted line.

She downloaded the full drive into her file folder and pulled out the flash drive from the USB port, but suddenly she sense an unknown presence in her apartment.

" I will be taking that back, Miss Kyle."

She whipped around at the sound of three-inched heels squeaking on the wooden floorboards, drawing at her handgun from her compartment belt with one smooth, silent motion, aiming it at the source of the female voice and glared at a curvy figure standing in the darkness near her closet. "Who the hell are you?" She snarled, curled finger holding the trigger. "Why are you in my home?"

"It is necessary for me to obtain that information that you've stolen, Miss Kyle." The woman said, her piercing gray-blue eyes glared Selina down with a lethal gaze. "I wouldn't want you to give it the authorities. It wouldn't matter anyway once the fire rises there will be nothing left of this diseased city."

She rolled her eyes, "Why would I do that. I'm already labeled as a fugitive. But hell if it means saving all those lives you listed ...I'll take the risk." She clutched the flash drive in her gloved hand and dared the female intruder with a devilish gleam in her dark eyes. "I'm going to count to three and you're going to tell me all the little details of your science project, Firestorm."

"Very well," She replied, stepping into the dim light. Selina recognized her face from the Harvey Dent Day celebration at Wayne Manor. Miranda Tate- a member of the board of directors of Wayne Enterprises, lustrous dark chocolate hair framed her classy beautiful European face. Striking gray-blue eyes that flared mystery, intelligence and determination. Selina could see right through her masks. She was a unpredictable demoness with cold malice etched into her exquisite features. "For decades Gotham as served as the underbelly of corruption and decay. We have tried many of times to reform this city into it's natural order of balance. We have failed because of misguided idealists such as your beloved Bruce Wayne."

"Leave him out of this, Tate." Selina hissed.

"I forgot you and him share a deep connection. That was until you stabbed him in the heart."

Selina narrowed her eyes to the floor. "I did what I do. I'm not happy with the mistake I have made..."

"You did it so you could survived another day." Miranda spat, circling in front of her. "Never thought there would be so much consequence for your actions. Bruce trusted you didn't he, Miss Kyle?" She sauntered over to the couch and lifted up the half graphite piece of Batman's cowl and throw to the floor, making the pieces shatter into shards, and Selina felt her heart throb against her chest. Miranda turned around on her heel, and smirked at the young brunette. "Trust is the greatest deception to use against people who believe that there is some good left in us. In truth all they see is what we want them to see."

"I think you've made your point, Tate." She seethed behind her clenched teeth. "Now clear out of my place before the claws come out."

Miranda shrugged her shoulders, "You think I've come here just to take back the USB drive." She shook her head. "I've come here because I am in need o your talents of practically and deception. Refuse my offer and you will see your teenage roommate in a grave that has already been prepared for her."

Selina felt the blood drained from her cheeks, "You wouldn't dare touch her." She aimed her gun at Miranada's chest. "Tell me where she is, bitch."

"I will once we have met an agreement." Miranda replied coldly. "Think about it, Miss Kyle. All your past mistakes erased, money in your pocket and no longer marked as a target. Is this what you want or do you want to end up like Bruce Wayne, alone in the darkness with only his nightmares to comfort him."

Selina lowered her gun and placed it back in the hostler, giving Miranda a venomous glare. "It looks like I have no choice. I mean, seeing that I have some few options. Let's see. You ask me to join your operation. You threaten the life of my friend. And now you're telling that if I refuse I will end up with the same death sentence as the man I betrayed? What's your real game plan here? I can see right through your deception, why do you want my talents so bad?"

"You're one of the few criminal that doesn't lack the taste power when given the opportunity, Miss Kyle." she looked at Selina with a shadowy gaze. "We want you, Selina Kyle to be a part of the League of Shadows. If you succeed with the tasks I have given you, maybe I will reward you with the location of your beloved Bruce Wayne."

"You need an answer now?" Selina asked, indignant.

"I will give you time to think the offer over," Miranda said, crossing over to the threshold. "Know whatever choice you make it will effect the two lives that you care about the most." She moved to the door and yelled back to Selina. "My informants will be in touch with you in the coming days. Don't disappoint me."

"You will have your answer in a few day," Selina replied with a hesitant tone, willing for her voice not to falter. " Is Bruce Wayne still..." Her eyes dropped, Miranda turned around and stared at the silent brunette.

"Bruce Wayne is alive. He will serving a punishment that very server in the coming months." She replied, before casually walking into the hallway, leaving Selina own with her thoughts. After hearing her apartment door shut, Selina solemnly walked over to the grimy window and looked out at the devoid of the streets as airy rain started to descend over the restless city. She slipped her eyes closed, and gathered images of the Wayne Enterprises charity ball and the moments she shared with Bruce on the dance floor as they tangoed a playful banter to each other while unmasking their own hidden desires.

_She was on the dance floor, sharing a slow waltz with a well-fed older gentlemen wearing a simple black mask over his wrinkled features. She sported a lacy domino mask of own, complete with velvet car ears resting on her sleek dark auburn hair. The stolen white pearls gleamed in the glow of rich lightening as she falsely smiled at her victim for the night with her dark coffee-colored eyes dazzling underneath the silts of her mask, while sensing a pair of penetrating hazel eyes watching her from above. She shifted her eyes, looking around with a curious gaze and felt the tightness of the pearl necklace constricted over her thin neck.  
_

_Bruce was descending down the stairwell, with a regal composure as his brow winced from the burning pain in his wounded knee, he gripped the handle of his cane and sighed in relief finding Selina was still waltzing in the arms of her silver-haired companion, whom Bruce recognized as Horace Gladstone, a rich old twit if there ever was one. With a still glare of determination he moved closer, watching Selina pretending to laugh at Gladstone's dull jokes as he smirked slightly as he noticed her eyes lightly roll behind her cat mask. _

_"Mind if I cut in?" he asked boldly, making the couple stop in the waltz, he stepped closer and side handed his cane to Gladstone. "Thank you." He smiled at Selina, enclosing his arm around her slender waist and taking her by the hand with a gentle touch as she instinctively placed her polished red nails on his shoulder. She glared at him as they started their dance, her eyes changeless as he noticed the bitter annoyance welled in her dark chasms. "Oh," he chuckled. "You don't seem happy to see me."_

_"You were suppose to be a shut in," she replied sourly._

_"I felt like some fresh air," he said, rocking her with a steady beat as the twirled in circle on the floor. She glided atop of her heels, reluctantly letting him lead. Her dark eyes stared up at him with curiously, more irked than alarmed.  
_

_"Why didn't you call the police?" she asked with a slight hiss in her tone. Her lips were firm.  
_

_"I have a powerful friend who deals with things like this." He raised his gaze to her tufted cat ears, admiring her choice of the masquerade mask. "Brazen costume for a cat burglar." He said with a practical voice, pursing his lips slightly out as she noticed the pronounced indents on his smooth chin._

_"Yeah," she challenged him, with a unamused voice. "Who are you are pretending to be?"_

_"Bruce Wayne," he replied with a damper voice, his lips curled into a defiant playboy smirk. "eccentric billionaire." She rolled her eyes and released out a breath of annoyance, turning her head back her impatient date for the evening. He picked up her concealed motives. "Who's you're date?"  
_

_"His wife's in Ibiza, but she left her diamonds behind through, worried they might get stolen." She formed her red lips into a playful pout._

_"It's pronounced "I-beetha." he corrected her. "You wouldn't want any of these folks realizing you're a crook, not a social climber."_

_She bristled at the suggestion. Her dark eyes flashed with angry flares as she slight gritted her teeth. 'You think I care what anyone in this room thinks of me? She bit out, venom seeping down to the back of her throat. He caught the hint of Gotham's East End accent in her voice, although she had obviously worked hard to eradicate her accent. He admired her skill and intelligence, if not her fondness for appropriating other people's property.  
_

_"I doubt you care what anyone in any room thinks of you," he countered._

_Selina clenched her eyes for a few seconds, "Don't condescend, Mr. Wayne," she replied, trying to scoff his words. "You don't know a thing about me." She lightly growled with her defenses rising in her veins. Her fingers were digging closer to his suit's collar.  
_

_"Well, Selina Kyle," he replied with a gentle rich voice. "I know you came here from your walk-up in Old Town . A modest place for a master jewel thief . Which means either you're saving for retirement-or you're in deep with the wrong people."_

_She twisted her lips into a smirk and rolled her shoulder slightly. "You don't get to judge me because you were born in the master bedroom of Wayne Manor..."_

_"Actually, I was born in the Regency Room." he interrupted her._

_"I started off doing what I had to," She continued apologetically with a voice was laced with bitterness. Her eyes slowly lowered as she tried to tried her inner regret seeping from her cold bones. "But once you've done what you had to. they'll never let you do what you want to."  
_

_"Start fresh." he said._

_She turned her head away from him for a few seconds and released a frustrated sigh before answering him, "There's no fresh start in today's world. Any twelve-year-old with a cell phone could find out what you did. Everything we do is collated and quantified. Everything sucks."  
_

_"This that how you justified stealing," he observed, his eyes lowered until they both were locked into a deep gaze._

_"I take what I need from those who have more than enough," she said, a tad defensively. "I don't stand on the shoulders of people with less."_

_"Robin Hood?" he guessed. Although he couldn't imagine in forest green tight. Black suited her best.  
_

_"I think I do more to help someone than most of the people in this room," she insisted. "Even you."_

_"You think you're assuming a little to much." he said._

_"Maybe you're being unrealistic about what's really in your pants other than your fat wallet." she replied in a lower voice.  
_

_"Ouch." he shot back._

_Still gliding in his arms, she glanced around at the ostentatious display of wealth and extravagance. Rich elite cracking open a crab leg as a young woman in expensive white gown laugh as the pieces of the crab squiring into the air. She scowled with disgust. "You think all this can last?" she looked at him directly into his hazel eyes. "There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and you're friends better batten the hatches because when it hits..." She leaned her face closer to his, she breath ghosted over his lips as she continued, "...you're all going to wonder how you ever thought you could live so large..." She bought her lips to his ear and spoke with poison dripped out of her mouth. "...and leave so little for the rest of us." She hissed pulling her lips away from his neck as her hand moved up to his shoulder, gripping the expensive material of his Italian designer suit.  
_

_"You sound like you're looking forward to it," he said, waving her arm off his shoulder._

_"I'm adaptable," she promised._

_His dark eyes looked down at the pearls wrapped around her gracefully neck as he admitted, "Those pearls do look better on you than they did in my safe." He rolled her into his shoulder and reached up to unclasp the necklace. "But I still can't let you keep them." She lunged on him, her hand grabbed his suit as he raised his hand from her reach instead of clawing the necklace out of his finger she did something bold and unexpected. She glared at him again, and then surprised him by pressing her lips hard fully on his warm mouth and kissed him for a few seconds, sucking the air from his lungs as he froze in her grasp. Breathless, he let her slip away into the crowd.  
_

The sound of a GCPD cruisers siren echoed in her ears, Selina darted opened her eyes and pulled herself from the window and crashed on her knees to the floorboards, picking up the shards of Batman's mask, placing them into the palm of her hands as the jagged shard pierce through the material of her gloves. She held the pieces closer to her lips, looking back at the moment of her betrayal replaying in her weary mind. She wished she could have played it differently. All she needed a few moments...it took time to understand the man. She wished her she could move her impermanent world to be with him but still the gap between was still wide. She pressed the shards against her rising chest and closed her eyes feeling a warm tears stream underneath her mask as she made her choice.

She rose and noticed a note on the couch that was underneath the broken cowl. She swiped the paper and quickly scanned over the sloppy handwriting and read the words that her friend left for her.

_Selina,_

_I know that this mask means a lot to you. At first I placed it in your treasure box...after giving it more thought, I took out because I want you to decide what you want to do with it. I bought some glue in case if you want to fix the broken pieces. I think you need to find the other half of mask first._

_Love,_

_Jen._

Selina clutched her paper in her fist and looked at the plane ticket resting on her vanity. As questioned became seared on her heart,

_Should I stay or should I go?_


	7. Chapter 7 : Intruder

**Chapter 7  
**

**Intruder **

* * *

The annoyance of the nightly breeze rushed over her pale delicate features, Selina sat on the fire escape, hands enclosed over a cup of instant coffee when she heard a door on the apartment's door, rolling her eyes she straightened off the step and gingerly crossed the threshold as she felt blood broiling in her veins and released a sharp exhale of breath before unlocking the chin lift on the upper corner of the door. she imminently sensed a familiar intruder in her territory as she placed on her on the knob.

She had a good sense who the presence was, because she caught a whiff of the same scent of cheap aftershave as she remembered smelling in the office of Gotham Police station when the young dark-haired detective questioned her before escaped. Her instincts began screaming as she heard the jingle of the handcuffs echo in her ears and listened to the voice bellowed from behind the door.

"Selina Kyle," John Blake raised his voice. "I've got a warrant for your arrest."

_This guy doesn't know when to quit_, She thought giving a quick eye roll and stiffened her jaw, and then she unlocked the door, and tapped her polished red nails adjust the scuffed up wood as her dark coffee irises bore a fierce gaze into his dark eyes, "You knocked, detective?" she asked, coyly.

"Quite a performance you pulled back at the station, Miss Kyle." Blake replied, inching closer with a slight grin on his face as he watched her scowl lightly at him. "You left me impressed."

He was closer to her, so close she felt intoxicated by his aftershave that it made her eyes slightly burn. She raked her eyes over his trim body. He the same as she remembered him the interrogation but so how different, maybe more determined, and still incredibility annoying. He wore a wind breaker and faded jeans, there was no sign of his GCPD uniform only handcuffs sticking out of his right pocket. She wasn't letting her guard down, showing no sign of weakness as she folded her arms protectively over her rising chest. "It's nice to have a fan."

"And you have many, Miss Kyle. At least that's what it states on your record."

Her eyes gleamed and shoulder shrugged, "Maybe I like the attention."

"Maybe you do," he said, pulling out the handcuffs. "But that's not going to change everything."

She glared at him, her lips curving into a deadly smile, and he waved the resistant in front of her eyes. "Don't make this harder than it already is, Miss Kyle."

"Nothing is ever easy, detective." she shot back, with a shrug. "But I'm not in the mood for booking it in at the Gotham Ritz, tonight." She drew out a flared breath. "Clear out."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Kyle. Not when I have a folder filled with your recent crimes back at the MCU, it case you were wondering."

She stared at him for a few moments as her jaw clenched and nails dug into the wood. "So that's the way it's going to be?" she asked in a colder tone. "And here I thought you were different from the rest of those bastards. You've proved me wrong."

His eyes rolled a little at this. "Sorry to disappoint." He unlocked the handcuffs.

"So your going to arrest me. In my home?" she asked, indignant.

"Listen, if you agree to come quietly," he replied, pausing for a moment. "I won't put the cuffs on you."

She gritted her teeth. _So that's the way it going to be, detective. Too bad you don't know me all that well._

"Do we have a deal?" he asked, stuffing the handcuffs back into his pocket, his chocolate colored eyes becoming softer as he eased his hands to his sides.

She smacked her lips together, and fluttered her eyes with a disgusted glare. "Alright detective," she said shifting her eyes to her apartment's window, as she conquered up her escape from this situation. "Would just give me a few minutes. I need to feed my cat."

"Alright," he replied, "I'm coming inside, I don't trust you enough leave you in there alone. I need to keep a sharp eye on you. Just in you try to do another one of your famous performances."

Then he stepped closer, and she took a few steps back and sauntered to the kitchenette, grabbing a bowl swiftly out of the cup board. He raised his eye brow as she opened the fridge door and pour at a carton of milk into the bowl and he flatten his back against the wall, staring down at her.

She smirked devilishly, setting the bowl down on the marked up floor. "Do you know why cat's love milk, detective?" she asked with a cocky tone and straightened off the floor and swayed her hips closer with the carton still in her hand. "because it makes such a mess." She lifted her arm and poured the milk over his head, drenching his short locks of hair as she bolted through the threshold, dropped the empty carton on the floorboards and slipped out onto the fire escape.

Blake swiped the runny liquid off his brow and raced toward the balcony door, but she had disappeared within the shadows of the back alleyway. He slammed his fist into the door frame cursing out his frustration. He stiffened his jaw, and then quickly scanned the small cluttered apartment as he walked to the vanity and lifted up a piece of graphite from Batman's cowl.

With a puzzled look etched over his youthful features, he lifted the shard to the dim light of the lamp and inspected it before settling it down to the pile of other pieces. He rested his palms flatly on the edge of the vanity and released a faint sigh, "Selina Kyle was there at night," he murmured under his breath, collecting all the details of the story written in the pieces of graphite smeared with dried blood of his friend. "She saw what happened to Bruce Wayne." He paused in his thoughts and read over the scribble on the piece of paper that was left by Jen Robinson. "And she loves him."


	8. Chapter 8 : The Void of Darkness

**Chapter 8**

**The Void of Darkness**

* * *

_The rattling sound of the grate locking pierces his ears, he furrows his brow underneath feeling the coldness creep into his bones. When he turns around slowly and stares into her dark eyes, all he beholds is unpredictable shadow gleaming back at him. He feels his trust in her fade into the darkness that cloaks his body, she stands there behind the rusted bars, looking at him with a spiteful glare as he feels betrayed by her deception._

_He curses himself on the inside, knowing that she has deliberately lured him into the trap. He feels unprepared as wary thought consume his mind. He watches her semblance change into unemphatic shroud that cross over her creamy flesh. She bores a dangerous glare into him, he feels slayed by her tactics of malevolence as he stares at the shadows etch over her red full lips._

_"I had to find a way to stop them trying to kill me." she dejects, and the air around grows deathly still as he felt a dull ache in his chest. He feels his heart shatter into shards of jagged pieces once more as he stares into the depth of her dark orbs and sees little light trapped in the pools of distrust. He can still feel her lips on his mouth, smell the scent of her beautiful body as it became imbedded into his skin._

_I trusted you, he thinks as he stares into her eyes. I was falling in love with you, Selina._

_He feels the anguish course through his veins as he gathers back his strength and unclasps his lips, "You've made a serious mistake," he whispered directly to her, a throaty and defeated tone, his heart clenches inside his chest as he stares at the guilt veiling over her pale features. He keeps his hazel eyes locked into her eyes, as if he was saying, Everything you gave me...it was all a ploy to get me into your clutches...did you feel anything...or was it all an act?_

_He feels the icy coldness seep out of her body as she lowers her eyes and releases a faint breath almost like she is saying "sorry" but it's too late for forgiveness and redemption. He was thrown into hellish situation, when that he might not get out of alive because of her devilish actions._

_Silence stretches between them as he stares into her harden express lash him like a knife, and tear wells behind his eyes as he says under his breath, "It's too late for that." His growl is flat, defeated. He shifts his hazel orbs away from her gaze as he hears the drumming sound of boot-steps crossing over the catwalk and the muffled voice echo through the chamber._

_As he shifts his body slowly around to face his opponent he gives her one last look, allowing his watery eyes reveal the words that are etched on his heart. Is this what you wanted?_

_He turns his back on her, waiting for her to stab him in the back once more..but it was more like she stabbed him in the heart. He feels the trepidation pound in his skull like a beating drum as he meets the dark carnal eyes of Bane, he steadies his breath and feels the acid in his stomach churn as she stand behind him, with no intention of leaving._

_His torn soul becomes darker, loathing...he's angry with her. He knew that was her way to survive. He was angry with himself for trusting her...kissing her and staring everything he had left inside his mortal shell with her in the glow of the crackling fire. He takes a few steps forward, knowing nothing is going to be easy. Nothing ever is._

_"Bane," his voice rattle against the walls of his throat, and he stares at his Jungian figure of death, brutally and shadow walking closer to him with his muscles rippling in his bare muscle. He wants to turn around and look at Selina once more but instead he hold his ground and looks at his opponent head on with a somber gaze of weakness in his dark eyes._

_"Let's not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne..."_

Bruce faintly slitted open his throbbing hazel eyes, the stench of sweat and blood churning his stomach as he cringed his body to the blazing sunlight, feeling the scorching heat graze over his upper body as his numb bare feet brush over the sand, and felt nothing down the lower half of his body. No texture against his bloody, scraped and dirty toes...just the jolts of excruciating pain lodged into his swollen spine.

His body was trembling as the hands of mercenary gripped underneath his arms as he became slightly aware of his desert surroundings before slipping back into an unconscious state from the effects of high doses of sedatives that coursed through his heated veins as he was dragged over sharp rocks that dug into groves his bare torso before he drifted back into a haunting nightmare while threatening voices ravaged inside his ears.

"This gutless swine is permanently spending his days in the pit," One of the mercenaries said, settling Bruce's limp body to the ground and grabbed the dust covered ropes. "Bane wants to make sure he stays alive until the task is complete in Gotham."

"The prison doctor will ensure that," other one said, lifting Bruce's arms and wrapped the rope of the unconscious man's torso, making the ropes dig into grimy skin. "I almost feel sorry for this bastard...Bane usually kills his prey not leave them marred for death to claim him. He'll dead within the week...the body can only take so pain before it gives out."

The other mercenary agreed, securing the ropes over Bruce's body before dragging him to the entrance of a deep well and both men tossed the billionaire aside, and watched him descend into the chasm of darkness as his slender and battered form smacked forcefully against the rocky walls.

_Feverish images dragged him up from the dark. Soul binding screams, sobs and maniacal laughter surrounded him. Broken bodies crashed to earth. He was falling down into a dark shaft with absence of light. He heard the gunshots echo and the screeches of his fears cloak over him. A black, skull-like visage gazed down on him, coming closer and closer..._

Bruce awoke with a heavy gasp, his stinging eyes flew open, drifting back into consciousness. His body was trembling to the coldness of the chill that brushed over his bruised features. He was drenched in a cold sweat and disoriented, and the images that he'd escaped from of him falling into the well of his family's escape flashed in his mind every time he blinked. He could taste the metallic taste of blood dripping down his raw throat. He couldn't see clearly but he forced his eyes to adjust against the darkness.

He forced heavy gulps of air in his lungs, as he felt the jabs in his spine that made his body jerk against rusted springs of cot supporting his full body weight. He swallowed as he felt the pressure of the gash against his forehead. Blood was dripping down his puffed out cheek as he released a few exhales and tried to fight against the pain raging through every fiber of his body.

He stared upward at a sooty stone roof that looked as through it had been craved from solid rock. He glimpsed prison bars out of the corner of his eye. His shaky fingers brushed over his chest. His Bat suit was gone, replaced by course, filthy rags. His head throbbed and throat was perched as the blood from the corners of his swollen lips burned against the walls of his throat.

Whiskers carpeted his pale, clammy features. He tried to sit up, only to experience an excruciating jolt of pain. He sank back onto the cot, gasping in agony.

He clenched his jaw, feeling hot tear brim behind his eyes, he tried to concentrate on his foggy thoughts but instead he narrowed his eyes to his dirty bare feet and wiggled his toe and felt nothing just a numbness streaming down his legs. "No," he rasped out with a faint breath, clamping his eyes shut and he was panicking.

The the stuffy and dingy cell was suffocating him, the only sounds he heard were the mournful cries of men all around him , and he felt himself falling into a dark place once more. There was no peace in this place. Only darkness and torture. He gripped his thoughts trying to calm the tempest in his mind and remind himself that he wasn't helpless. Broken but not helpless.

Someone stirred to his right, and he realized that he wasn't alone in the cell. He tried to roll over to see who it was, but even the attempt was torture to his paralyzed body.

Heavy boot-steps approached the cot. A massive figure squatted beside him. Densely muscled shoulders curved upward into a thick neck supporting a familiar masked face. The dark skull from his fever dream seemed to gaze down at him.

_Bane._

"Why didn't you just..." he swallowed a large gulp of air. "...kill me?" His voice was raspy, throat sore from disuse. He closed his eyes trying to repress the vivid images of sewer and Selina standing behind the gate watching his body shatter in the hands of the masked terrorist. He felt a sheet of sweat drench his brow as he tried to life up a hand to swipe the wetness off his face.

"You don't fear death," Bane answered, coldly. "You welcome it." He shook his head, his merciless hollow eyes looked down at Bruce's pitiful form. "You're punishment must be more severe."

Bruce understood now. He glared furiously at his captor.

"You're a torture..."

"Yes." Bane agreed. "But not of your body. Of your soul."

Bruce tried to hold back his anger, but the pain was too great. He let out a sharp gasp. Bane blurred before his eyes as he felt the darkness encroaching on his vision. He fought to stay alert. "Where am I?" he asked, voice was fading as his strength drained out of his vocal cords.

"Home," Bane replied. "Where I learned the truth about despair. As will you."

Bruce force himself to look around, adjusting his head against the bump of the cot as he stiffened his jaw, feeling the straining pull of his neck and turned his head as little as possible. Through the rusty iron bars of his cell, he glimpsed what appeared to be an enormous underground complex carved into the sides of a gigantic pit. _A well. _Metal stairs and catwalks connected rows of terraces that led into deep, cavernous cell blocks.

The entire structure resembled a huge inverted pyramid or ziggurat that almost Eschereque in appearance. Wrenched figures clad in frayed peasant garb populated the place, trudging wearily about their labors. There appeared to be no guards—only prisoners. Angry shouts and screams came from the other walls. The early morning sunlight filtered down as vast circular shaft rising hundred of feet above the bottom of the pit. Higher up, crumbling ledges and outcroppings jutted from the weathered stone sides. It was was like being at the bottom of a colossal well.

Bane slowly rose from Bruce's bedside and crossed the cell to the bars. "There is a reason that this prison is the worst hell on earth." He lifted his masked tubed countenance toward the distant shafts of light. "Hope. Every man who has rotted here over the centuries has looked up to the light, and imagined climbing to grasp their freedom. So simple, so easy. And, like shipwrecked men turning to seawater from uncontrollable thirst, many have died trying. I learned here that there can be no true despair without hope." He looked away from the light, fixing his pitiless eyes on Bruce.

"So I as I terrorize Gotham, I will feed its people hope to poison their souls. I will let them believe they can survive, so that you can watch them clamber over each other to stay in the sun." He lightly hissed, pointing to an ancient -looking television set up just outside the bars of Bruce's cell. A cable ran from the television into the crude, rough-hewn masonry.

"You will watch," Bane continued, crouching back down next to Bruce. "as I torture an entire city to bring you pain you thought you could never truly feel again. Then, when you have have truly understood the depths of your failure, we will fulfill Ras al Ghul's destiny. We will destroy. And when it is done-when Gotham is ashes-_then _you have my permission die."

As Bane turned to depart he pressed his hand forcefully into Bruce's torso, digging his knuckles into throbbing muscles, listened to the billionaire screech out an ear shattering grasp of breath as he left Bruce alone in the dismal cell. A barred door swung shut, its rusty hinges squeaking in protest.

Bruce started to sob as he felt the sharpness of Bane's hand linger into the craven of his chest. He wanted to shout at Bane, saying something defiant, but it would have been nothing but a devoid of a gesture. He couldn't even move without agony streaming through his entire body.

As the pain overwhelmed him, Bruce allowed the darkness to sweep over his ghostly, sweaty and broken form. His eyes drooped and slipped shut.

He listened to the cries of condemn men echo in his ears, as he fell into a nightmarish sleep as he thought about the people of his city that he cared for...Jim Gordon, Lucius Fox, John Blake and even the woman who betrayed him to save her own life... Selina.


End file.
